


Eternity Becomes You

by TommyGlitter



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), Tommy Ratliff (Musician)
Genre: Blood Drinking, Explicit Language, M/M, Male Slash, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-23 07:08:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/619424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TommyGlitter/pseuds/TommyGlitter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are five steps, or phases, that people go through when faced with the death of a loved one, or while facing their own death. These steps are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. They don’t always go in that order, and those feelings switch back and forth as we go through the process until we can accept completely.</p>
<p>This is a story about a prince who lost the love of his life, and found a way to get him back. The price he paid was high. He spent centuries wandering the earth as a vampire, waiting for his lover to return to him.</p>
<p>This is also about the one he loved; reincarnated in everything but memory, and finding his life is about to change at the hands of that vampire. This is a story of both of their struggles as they work their ways through these steps and come to accept that change is a part of life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Denial

**Author's Note:**

> This is fiction, therefore it never happened. Please don’t send this to anyone mentioned in this story. It was written for entertainment only. No disrespect is intended.

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=2ueoebm)

  
[](http://tinypic.com?ref=263a81w)   


It was a typical Saturday; Tommy and his band were playing at Molly Malone’s. As far as gigs go, Molly’s was the best joint in town. There was always a large crowd and tonight was no exception. The energy rolled from the crowd and the band fed off it and gave it right back.

Tommy had been playing with Mortal Exit for a few months now, and the band seemed to be going places. All the effort they put into practice paid off in consistently solid performances that garnered a fair amount of local buzz.

Tonight, Tommy’s groupies turned out in larger numbers than usual and his fans kept passing shots up to him on stage. He hadn’t had to pay for a single drink all evening. Tommy couldn’t think of a better way to spend a night than doing what he loved best; playing guitar and catching a free buzz.

Then he spotted Ariel in the crowd, strutting over to his side of the stage. Ariel; with those plump, red lips that always held Tommy’s eyes as he pictured them wrapped around his hard cock. Ariel; with the perfect set of tits that she was so proud of that she didn’t even try to conceal them. Ariel; with that fucking ass that made Tommy’s hands itch just to grab onto it. Yeah, that Ariel, and she was coming to tease Tommy some more.

Guiltily, he thought of Liz, and knew she wanted him to come over tonight after the gig. He hadn’t seen her since last weekend, and he missed her. And Cairo missed her, too. He smiled to himself while he played as he recalled the night Liz named his dick Cairo. They had laughed their asses off when she tweeted that she had just jumped Cairo, and her feed thought she was talking about her horse.

He thought he was in love with her, but she didn’t seem ready to take their relationship to the next level. Lately, she’d been complaining about everything Tommy did. He’d even deleted his Tumblr account because the feed on it upset her. And then Ariel sashayed into his life again, and all Tommy could think about was getting her alone.

His fingers continued to fly over the strings of his Fender as the vibrations played against his groin. All the while he thought of what he could say to Ariel to get her to wait for him after the show. She’d been nothing but a tease so far, but he was feeling lucky tonight for some reason.

He’d spent all his breaks at Ariel’s table, and after a few drinks and plenty of flirting, she agreed to meet him after Molly’s closed. When the last song of the night was finally over, Tommy had one more drink with his groupies, talking with them until last call was made, and then he packed up his instruments with the rest of the band. _Yes,_ he thought, _this would be the perfect life if it only paid better._

One of the bar maids approached Tommy as he was getting his gear together. “If you aren’t doing anything tonight, you can come home with me,” she offered with a wink.

She was one sexy, little thing, and Tommy might have been tempted normally, but not tonight. Tonight he had plans with Ariel and her plump, red lips. “Thanks, dahling, but I really can’t tonight. ‘Sorry.”

She looked disappointed, but she stayed and talked with Tommy as he finished packing up his equipment. He made his good-byes to her and began lugging his things out to his car.

By the time he took his last load out, he still hadn’t seen Ariel. Tommy’s car was parked in the in the shadows at the far end of the lot as the result of him arriving at the last minute, the lot was almost empty now. Ariel’s car was just a couple spaces down, but she wasn’t in it. He thought that was odd, but figured she must still be inside, perhaps in the ladies room.

Tommy waited by his car and when he heard footsteps behind him, he put a smile on his face as he turned, expecting to see Ariel. Instead, there was a tall, raven-haired man behind him.

He looked up into the man’s dark rimmed eyes, and time stood still; literally. He couldn’t move or pull his eyes away from the swirling beauty in front of him, wearing jeans so tight they left nothing to the imagination. The tall man’s dark brown jacket was open and a Queen t-shirt peeked out from below it. Even with just a glance, Tommy could tell the man had money. His snakeskin belt, fingerless gloves and boots all matched. But it was his eyes that drew his attention and held them. They seemed to swirl hypnotically, holding him. Tommy began to panic, completely unable to move.

“I’ve finally found you, Thomas,” the stranger said. “I’ve been looking for you for such a long time.”

Tommy felt like he should know him, but was sure he’d never seen this man before. In the periphery of his vision, he could see fangs sliding down in the man’s open mouth. A whine managed to escape Tommy’s lips as he stared into the mesmerizing eyes of the man in front of him. _No!_ his mind screamed in denial.

For all the horror movies Tommy had watched, he never believed that vampires really existed, but there was no doubt in his mind that the one standing before him was real. He struggled with all his might to break the spell he was under as the man drew closer to Tommy’s neck, and managed to squeak out, “Please don’t kill me.”

The vampire pulled back abruptly. He seemed surprised and shocked. “I’m claiming you as my own,” the vampire clarified. Tommy couldn’t make sense of his intention, but it sounded like the vampire didn’t plan on killing him.

“Who are you?” Tommy whispered, his voice breaking as fear and confusion overwhelmed him.

The man’s eyes darkened. “You don’t remember me, do you? I will help you to remember. I’m Adam and you are my Thomas. I recognize your essence. We were lovers long ago, and I refuse to lose you a second time.” Adam said.

“I don’t know you.” Tommy shook his head slightly in protest. His ability to talk and move seemed to be returning slowly. “My name is Tommy. No one calls me Thomas. We were never lovers because I’m straight. It has to be someone else that you are looking for,” Tommy managed to force out of his mouth.

“No, it was you. It was another life, but it was you. I’ll give you a little time to remember. It will also give you the chance to tie up any loose ends,” Adam explained.

“What are you talking about, loose ends?” Tommy whispered as his confusion and fear mounted.

“All the things you want to finish before I bestow eternity to you.”

“No,” The word was dragged out in Tommy’s horror. He’d never thought about immortality, not in terms that it could really happen, but the thought scared the hell out of him.

“Hush,” Adam compelled as he neared Tommy’s neck. Adam had a firm grip on his arms as he bent and ran his nose up Tommy’s artery. Tommy’s heart worked to beat its way out of his chest as he tried his hardest to scream in terror, but all he could manage was to whimper quietly. Adam had full control over him and when he licked a trail along the chilled skin of his jugular, Tommy’s fear peaked even higher.

As much as he wanted to scream and run, Tommy could do nothing but stand there. When he felt Adam’s open mouth on his neck and the sharp pricks of fangs against his skin, panic filled him completely. Then the sharp points of Adam’s teeth breached the tender skin on his neck, and the intense pain was even worse than he expected.

He didn’t feel Adam sucking on his skin, but he could feel his mouth and tongue suckling at his neck, soothing over the pain. Adam was making quiet moaning noises that were almost sexual, and his arms surrounded Tommy in an almost loving hold.

The cold metal against his back was Tommy’s realization that Adam had him pressed against his car, although he had no idea as to how they got into that position. He could hear his heart beating in his ears speeding up the longer Adam fed. When he saw spots before his eyes; Tommy knew he was going to die here tonight, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Those were his last thoughts before his world turned black.

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=fleogx)

As he stood outside looking at the bar, Adam felt he was a little ‘overdressed’ to go into this dive. Not that it was unusual for him to dress nice! On the contrary, Adam tended to dress in a way that drew attention. He found that he enjoyed making himself bait and feeding from the thugs that felt they should relieve him of his riches. It was almost like a buffet some nights! Drink, compel the thieves to find a new occupation, and wait for the next one, all while he searched for his lost love.

Something drew Adam into the bar, an unusual thing in itself. He tended to avoid them, especially those with live bands. The overwhelming scent of the blood beating through the veins of the people on the dance floor tended to be more temptation than he wanted to handle. But tonight, the blood held a distant second place to whatever pulled him in.

He felt compelled; called to the band playing on the stage. The closer he got, the stronger his need to find the reason for being here became. And then he saw him; his Thomas! Adam had been searching for his lover for several lifetimes now, and couldn’t believe his luck in finding him tonight. And it _was_ Thomas. Adam could sense his essence, and every fiber of his being screamed with the need to hold Thomas in his arms again.

Adam couldn’t draw his eyes away from the guitarist. The man hardly seemed larger than the guitar he played. His eyes were as beautiful as Adam remembered, and tonight they were outlined in black. His pouty lips were made to be kissed and his hair was short on the sides but long and blond on the top. His ears were pierced many times over, and the denim jacket he wore over his Metallica t-shirt was old and worn. The jeans he wore were tight and hanging low off his tiny ass and his platform shoes gave him the appearance of more height. Other than his hairstyle and clothes, nothing had changed about the way he looked. The man before him was definitely his Thomas.

His Thomas used to play the lute for him, and it was all Adam could do to hold those memories at bay. He planned to take Thomas aside when the band took a break, but he watched as Thomas went to a woman with a single mindedness that made Adam want to kill something; or someone. He managed to hold himself back, not wanting to draw attention to himself, and waited until the man he’d hunted for so long was alone.

It didn’t take long for him to realize that he wasn’t going to get Thomas alone as long as the woman was around. Shortly before the bar was to close, the woman left, and Adam followed her out.

Adam was not the sort to take a life indiscriminately, but tonight he was struggling to contain his rage. He wanted nothing to hinder his chances to get the man he had waited so long for alone. Able to move both quickly and quietly when he wanted, he stopped the woman outside the bar and locked eyes with her. “Walk away and don’t look back,” he told her with the push of a compulsion. He watched her quicken her stride down the sidewalk and out of sight. Adam soon became uncomfortable with Thomas out of his sight, and headed back inside. He was not about to chance losing his lover again.

The last set was over when he returned, and he stood by the door watching as Thomas surrounded himself with a small crowd of people. He felt like he was waiting on needles and pins, and his frustration mounted as he anticipated getting Thomas alone.

He wanted to walk up to Thomas and just take him, right then and there. Somehow he was able to keep his baser instincts subdued enough to walk back outside and ease his temptation. The patrons trickled out at first, and then left in droves. They drove off, until the parking lot slowly emptied. Most of the band members also left, hauling their gear into their cars and talking with a few groupies before leaving. Adam picked up Thomas’ scent in the dark shadows of the parking lot and followed it to Tommy’s car. Then he waited.

He watched Thomas put some things into the trunk of his car and look around as if he expected to meet up with someone. Adam closed his eyes against the onslaught of emotions and worked at tempering his rage. His Thomas would meet someone tonight, just not the woman he was obviously expecting.

Thomas returned to the bar and quickly reappeared with more gear, including his guitar case, and stowed it in his trunk. He walked up to a car parked near his and looked inside before returning to his own. Adam could guess who the other auto belonged to. He couldn’t wait any longer, and approached him from behind.

Taking control of Thomas’ will was simple once they locked eyes. Adam knew he would be strong willed, but it still surprised him when his lover spoke up in protest. He supposed he shouldn’t have been though; Thomas was strong enough to bring himself back to Adam.

Adam allowed Thomas to put him off for only a very short time before he compelled him to hush. As he closed the distance to his one true love’s neck, his skin tingled with anticipation. Adam kept a firm grip on the smaller man’s arms as he bent and ran his nose up the pulsing beat of his vein, smelling Thomas’ familiar scent. He then licked a swipe up the same line, teasing himself with the taste and the promise of his dear one’s blood beneath the skin. When he finally sunk his teeth into his love, he felt intoxicated with finally being with his Thomas again.

The vampire allowed his mouth to fill with the pumping of Thomas’ heart, wanting to savor every drop. He listened to his heartbeat as it began to speed and knew he would have to seal the wounds soon. When the fey beauty passed out in his arms, he closed the punctures with his tongue and carefully laid Thomas in the backseat of his car to recover.

Adam then went back into the bar, unseen, and grabbed some bottles of water for when his mate awoke. He set the bottles on the floor as he slid in with the man he had waited so long for. He was still out cold, so he set Thomas’ head on his lap to make him more comfortable, combing his fingers through his hair.

There was no holding back the memories as he gazed down upon the one he’d loved and waited so long for.

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=8x3qfs)

His breath caught the first time Adam laid eyes on the scribe attending his father. The lad’s fey features and light brown hair that hung halfway down his back were stunning, but it was his face that Adam found most striking. Warm, brown, kohl lined eyes with lashes so long they looked almost heavy, and pouty lips that Adam wanted to kiss until they were red and swollen. He was beautiful enough to haunt Adam’s dreams from his first sight.

Adam, eldest son of the King of Lambertia and next in line to rule the kingdom, was hardly versed in the art of self-restraint. Within a fortnight, Adam used every opportunity available to require the scribe for his own notes and letters. He wrote to elderly aunts and distant relatives, he even took previously lapsed diplomatic correspondences upon himself. It wasn’t long before Adam required a personal scribe and requested Thomas be assigned to him. Adam’s father, no doubt delighted by his son’s new found enthusiasm for family and affairs of state, granted his request. Everyone seemed oblivious to Adam’s intentions initially.

The two of them became closer than just a prince and scribe. The lines to their ranking were fuzzy when they were alone, and they went from being fast friends to lovers. It wasn’t long before they spent all of their spare time wrapped in each others arms. The love they had for one another was unparalleled, even though it was kept behind locked doors.

Their love affair lasted almost five summers before the fragile peace between Lambertia and Lazamay fell apart and war began again.

It was a bloody and brutal battle, with heavy losses on both sides and little headway in the stalemate. It was on the third day that Adam saw Thomas on the field, surrounded by the enemy, and Adam panicked. Thomas _knew_ better than to put himself in harm’s way. They probably heard what the scribe meant to the Prince of Lambertia, and sought him out intentionally. He nudged his horse into a gallop, striking down enemy soldiers along his path. Adam watched in stunned silence as a sword’s blade slid through his lover’s body.

They didn’t have enough time together. Not nearly enough. He fought like a mad man, slaying his enemy like an ax man chops down twigs. When he finally made it to his lover’s side, Thomas’ breath was sputtering through his bleeding mouth. Adam held his beloved close while Thomas gazed into his eyes, a sad smile on his face. “I’ll be back, my love,” were Thomas’ final words before his reason for living faded before him.

Adam could not believe his heart’s desire was dead, even though the proof was in front of him. _He can’t be dead! He can’t be!_ was the mantra repeating over and over in the young Prince’s head.

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=263a81w)

Tommy awoke slowly to the feel of fingers carding through his hair. He was disoriented and confused. _Why was he in the backseat of his car? Whose fingers were running through his hair?_ When he tried to sit up, the intense ache in his neck brought it all back.

Tommy scooted away so quickly that he almost blacked out again.

“Hey, slow down. You need to drink and recover some of your strength before you hurt yourself,” the man said.

He looked up into the man’s, Adam’s, face when he remembered that was his undoing earlier and quickly looked away. Tommy didn’t know if there was anything he could do to save himself; he didn’t know how many of the things he’d seen in the movies were true. Most of all, he couldn’t believe there was a real vampire sitting in his car.

It dawned on him that the bottle of water in Adam’s outstretched hand was for him. “You are going to have to drink a lot of water for the next day or so. Take this,” Adam told him.

Tommy had tried to donate blood only once. He’d passed out before the bag was full, and they’d made such a fuss over him that he never wanted to go through that again. He also remembered they kept telling him to drink. So he took the water and drank the whole bottle down. That wasn’t an easy feat either; every gulp only accentuated the stabbing pain in his neck.

Tommy stayed as far away from Adam as he could and dropped the empty bottle on the floor. “Thomas, look at me, please,” Adam sounded almost like he was begging.

“No!” Tommy kept his eyes averted from the vampire’s eyes.

Adam reached out and stroked the side of Tommy’s face that wasn’t hidden behind his hair. “I have waited too long for you to come back to me. Look at me, Thomas. You must know that I still love you,” Adam beseeched.

“You hypnotized me once tonight! Leave me alone!”

“Hypno…” Adam chuckled. “I don’t need you to look into my eyes to make you do as I say now. I’ve claimed you, Thomas, and that makes you mine, body and soul. But I won’t abuse that power. I don’t want to chance losing you again.”

The hand stroking Tommy’s cheek slid under his chin and Adam tilted his face up. It was unexpected when Adam leaned down and crushed their lips together. Tommy didn’t expect to have Adam’s tongue teasing his lips, seeking entrance. He definitely didn’t expect to kiss him back, but he did. Those lips, that tongue, it all felt familiar. It was as if they’d done this before, as if their lips belonged locked together. But Tommy knew he had never kissed another man before, so _they_ had never kissed before.

Adam slowly, and seeming reluctant, backed away. “I’m going to drive you home to make sure you get there safely. Let me help you into the front and you can direct me,” the vampire told him as he handed him another bottle of water.

“I don’t need your help,” Tommy snapped. He didn’t want Adam to know where he lived and he could certainly drive himself home. He got out of the car and stumbled toward the driver’s side. Unfortunately, Adam stopped him in his tracks, but not before Tommy made a mental note to avoid Molly’s and anywhere else the Vampire was likely to look for him. He couldn’t even call the cops for fear that they’d have him committed. Tommy’s mind was spinning out of control as Adam easily led him to the passenger door.

“I’m driving.” Adam insisted as he buckled Tommy into the seat. “I want to know you are home and safely in bed before I have to go for the day. Sit back and try to relax.”

“Like that’s possible,” Tommy murmured under his breath

Adam smiled, and Tommy tried to ignore what a persuasive smile the vampire had. “I suppose not. It’s also clear that you are as stubborn as you ever were, Thomas.”

“I’m not Thomas!” Tommy looked at the clock and realized that it wouldn’t be too long before morning. He could easily disappear after a short rest, and Adam would never find him. He felt a little better having a plan of sorts. _Besides, he can’t come inside my place if I don’t invite him_ Tommy thought as a smirk grew on his face. He opened the water and drank. With every swallow, there was a sharp reminder of Adam’s fangs in his neck.

He directed Adam to his place and despite his protests, Adam insisted on walking him to the door. Adam looked at the keys on the ring he still held and unlocked the door. He then proceeded to walk in ahead of Tommy, holding it open for him. Tommy just gaped at him from outside, wondering how he entered without an invitation.

“How did you just walk in?” Tommy asked.

Adam looked at him and chuckled. “Come on, Thomas! You don’t believe everything you see on television, do you?”

Tommy slowly followed him inside, his mind searching for all he knew about vampires. “Does the sun burn you?” Tommy asked.

“I don’t honestly know. I haven’t been awake during the day since I was changed,” Adam confessed.

“Does silver burn you?” Tommy asked.

Adam looked down at the rings on his hands. “No, I’m afraid that’s another myth,”

“Do you eat food?” Tommy just had to know all he could about real vampires.

“No, that much is true. I sustain myself on blood. Normally the person I drink from doesn’t remember anything more than having taken a lover. They… forget the rest of it,” Adam explained.

“Why do I remember it then?” Tommy asked, his finger reaching for his sore neck.

“I did more than feed off you, Thomas. I marked you and claimed you as mine.” Adam was suddenly right there in front of Tommy, his fingers stroking his cheek. “Come; I want to be sure you are asleep before I leave you.”

It was clear from Adam’s tone that Tommy had no other options, so he got ready for bed. He felt self-conscious when he returned to his bedroom wearing nothing but his worn out sleep pants. As he padded into the room, Adam was suddenly right there in front of him, his fingers stroking his cheek again, and his embarrassment was forgotten. When Adam bent his head and brushed his their lips together, it was unexpected. Adam’s arms wrapped around him and cradled his head, deepening the kiss. Tommy didn’t understand why it felt so right, so normal, and he made no attempt to fight it. When Adam broke the kiss, Tommy was breathless.

Before releasing him, Adam gazed deeply into his eyes. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he warned, with a piercing look that seemed like he could see right into Tommy’s heart.

The words passed through his mind and were gone, as well as all of his thoughts and worries. He fell asleep quickly, and slept soundly until the ringing of his phone woke him the following afternoon.

Tommy groaned and reached for his cell phone, only to be stopped mid-motion by the discomfort in his neck. He pushed the slide bar when he saw Liz’s name. “Hey, baby,” Tommy answered, his voice rough with sleep.

“What the heck happened at Molly’s last night, Tommy?” Liz answered.

 _How would she have known about what happened?_ Tommy’s heart began to race as he panicked. “What are you talking about?”

“The news just said a woman went missing that was seen in the bar last night! Her car was still parked there this morning,” Liz expounded.

“What?” Tommy felt numb as he turned on the set. After flipping through several stations, he finally found it. Sure enough, it was Ariel. No wonder he couldn’t find her! _Fuck!_

Liz was still talking, but Tommy wasn’t really listening as he made his way into the bathroom to relieve his bladder. That’s when he saw his neck. It didn’t look much worse than a really big hickey, and Tommy couldn’t see the puncture wounds unless he searched for them, but it still shocked him to see evidence that the strange memory from last night really happened.

“Well? Are you coming over tonight or not?” Liz’s words broke through Tommy’s daze.

“I just woke up, baby. Let me see what’s going on, and I’ll call you back.” He hung up, knowing there was no way he wanted Liz to see his neck like this. He turned away from the mirror and took care of the business that brought him into this room in the first place. When he jumped in the shower, Tommy really wanted to scrub the mark off his neck, but it hurt too fucking much to touch. The most he could do was let the water run over it. He was on autopilot as he got dressed for the day; the biggest thing on his mind was the meaning of the mark on his neck.

 _There’s no way that vampires exist, so_ he _isn’t one, and I can’t become one! Someone must have dropped some bad drugs into one of my drinks last night for me to have fallen for this!_ Even in Tommy’s denial, he realized that he had to try to make a run for it.  



	2. Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are five steps, or phases, that people go through when faced with the death of a loved one, or while facing their own death. These steps are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. They don’t always go in that order, and those feelings switch back and forth as we go through the process until we can accept completely.
> 
> This is a story about a prince who lost the love of his life, and found a way to get him back. The price he paid was high. He spent centuries wandering the earth as a vampire, waiting for his lover to return to him.
> 
> This is also about the one he loved; reincarnated in everything but memory, and finding his life is about to change at the hands of that vampire. This is a story of both of their struggles as they work their ways through these steps and come to accept that change is a part of life.

  
[](http://tinypic.com?ref=2ueoebm)   


  
[](http://tinypic.com?ref=263a81w)   


Tommy didn’t know where the day went, and he sure as fuck didn’t know how it came to be that Adam had him pushed into the wall by the door. Adam had his wrists trapped above his head, thigh pressed against his crotch and was kissing him deeply. He also didn’t know why it felt so good, so natural; like it was something he’d done often in the past and missed dearly. Most of all, he also didn’t understand why this was the only clear thought he had since shortly after his shower.

With Adam’s body against his and inhaling his sweet, erotic scent, it was the first time Tommy felt alive all day; and that realization scared the hell out of him. Tommy began to struggle and fight his way away from the powerful body holding him tight. The more he struggled, the more friction he found against Adam’s thigh, and the more distracted he became over why he was fighting. When Adam finally pulled away from the kiss, Tommy was panting for breath.

“What did you do to me?” Tommy managed to ask when he could get enough air.

Adam chuckled. “I kissed you, Thomas. Just like I’ve always kissed you,” Adam rumbled into his ear.

“Stop!” Tommy begged, needing some distance to put his thoughts together. “What did you do to me?” he questioned insistently. “Why was today such a haze?”

Adam pulled back a bit further and locked eyes with Tommy. “What did you plan on doing?” Adam demanded. “Something stupid?”

The look in the vampire’s eyes scared him; it was both angry and dangerous. He thought back to what little he could remember, and the last clear thought he could find was when he had planned on making a run for it. He sure as shit wasn’t going to tell Adam that! “Nothing! I wasn’t going to do anything!”

“Don’t lie to me, Thomas! You know how much I hate it when people lie to me!” Adam held Tommy’s wrists with one hand, while the other slid down along his arm and wrapped around his neck, secure, but not squeezing.

Tommy tried to escape Adam’s hold, but the vampire’s grip was firm.

 _*What were you going to do?_ *

His eyes never left Adam once, but when he heard the vampire’s voice in his head and his lips never moved, he went dead still. _Adam could get into his head? Could he read his thoughts, too?_ Tommy didn’t want to die and he was afraid Adam would kill him if he knew he had planned to run. He didn’t know if it would be better to keep his mouth shut or lie, but if this vampire could read his mind, he was fucked! Then he remembered that the best defense was a good offense. “I was scared! Fuck! You killed Ariel! Did you expect me to just wait around for you to kill me, too?”

“I didn’t kill anybody. I sent that woman you were sniffing after on her way, but I never killed her,” Adam explained calmly. “You were planning on leaving me.” Adam actually smiled after saying that. “The only way the compulsion to not do anything stupid would have stopped you from running is if you were my Thomas, returned to me.” With that, Adam leaned down and kissed Tommy until he was breathless and rock hard.

“Come, my love. Let’s take this to your bedroom,” Adam suggested as both his hands tenderly held Tommy’s face.

“Fuck! Adam, I’m straight! I’ve never been with a man before, and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to start now!” Tommy told him between breaths.

Adam’s hand went right for Tommy’s erection and ground the heel of his palm over it. Tommy arched into the friction without even thinking. “While you may not remember us being together, your body knows what to do. Come; quit being stubborn,” Adam said with a growl, directly into his ear, and Tommy’s cock throbbed for the man in front of him.

Tommy didn’t understand his body’s reactions or his lust, but he wasn’t afraid. He had many gay friends and he’d heard that sex with another man was much better. It just never appealed to him… until now.

He took Adam’s hand and followed as the vampire led him into the bedroom.

As they undressed, Tommy realized that this was the first time he’d really _looked_ at him. He was beautiful in a masculine way. His blue eyes were outlined in black and were hypnotizing in their beauty. His hair was jet-black and his ears were pierced and stretched out by medium sized gauges. _Gauges on a vampire?_ That just seemed too weird to Tommy. Adam also wore a diamond post in one ear and a gold hoop in the other.

Tommy thought Adam looked both young and ancient at the same time. The vampire was well built; he had the muscles of youth sculpted by time. Adam was covered with freckles; thousands of them all over his body. _He had to have spent a lot of time outside when he was alive to have become that freckled._

When Adam removed the last item of his clothes, Tommy dropped his eyes down to the reddish brown hair softly curling around Adam’s long, thick cock. Tommy’s first thought was to get the hell out of there because there was no way _that_ would ever fit. His next thought was Adam would never hurt him any more than he wanted him to. Where that thought came from and what it meant, Tommy had no idea, but he knew running was impossible, as much because of Adam’s control over him as it was to his own desire. Tommy’s nerves were getting the best of him, though, and his erection was beginning to flag, so he felt the need to say something, anything, in the hopes of calming down.

“So, the carpet doesn’t match the curtains, eh?” he quipped.

Adam chuckled, glancing from the swatch of Tommy’s blond hair down to the brown hair curling around Tommy’s cock. “No, they don’t, do they?”

Adam mocked him, but his voice was filled with the sort of fondness that warmed Tommy’s heart.

Before Tommy could think of a comeback, Adam’s lips were locked on his. The kiss was demanding, and Tommy gave as passionately as he got. He had never been kissed like that in his life, yet he felt he knew that kiss intimately and wanted more.

Adam backed Tommy into the bed, and made love to him, slowly. It was as if Adam knew his body better than he knew it himself. Afterward, wrapped in Adam’s arms, their limbs entwined until Tommy couldn’t tell where he stopped and Adam started, Tommy’s mind refused to stop.

In some ways the passion of their sex stunned him, reminding Tommy of all that he’d been missing out on. It was the familiarity of it that terrified him, though. Here he was, weak as a baby in Adam’s arms, feeling as though he’d been here before, and was sure it could only be because the vampire did something to him, making him feel this way. The range of emotions Tommy felt confused the hell out of him.

Tommy knew he was straight; he’d never been attracted to a man before. _Had he been coerced by the vampire?_ Tommy wasn’t sure, but Adam had sunk his fangs into his neck again, right before Tommy came. The pain of the bite intensified his pleasure so much that it both scared and angered him. He didn’t want to belong to a vampire! _Did he?_ The last thing he wanted now was for Adam to know that this had been the best sexual experience he’d ever had!

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Adam gazed upon his lover, the taste of blood still on his tongue. This was the happiest he’d been since Thomas took his last breath in his arms, several lifetimes ago. He could tell the lad was tired. Adam would allow him a bit of sleep. He deserved the rest, Adam figured, a smile playing on his lips as he thought back to the sight of Thomas splayed out wantonly before him, begging to come.

Looking down at the beautiful blond, Adam found himself reliving the very first time he lay with Thomas. He wanted to touch his lover inside and out, but he was afraid; afraid that he wouldn’t be able to stop and would hurt Thomas. Afraid that once their lips touched, he would be caught in a web of desire that he wouldn’t be able to break out of. His biggest fear was that he would hurt the lad on purpose just to hear him screaming Adam’s name.

When he finally conquered his fear, Adam left no part of Thomas untouched by either hand or tongue. Indeed, he devoured the sweet morsel in his bed.

His lover’s long hair had been bound in a braid and the soft robe he’d been wearing earlier was tangled in the bedding. Tall, narrow palace windows lit his quarters and the sun's rays danced on his fey lover’s naked form as he lie sprawled out on his bed. The stray hairs that came out of his braid looked like lace on Thomas' skin, so wet with sweat. Nothing had ever looked more beautiful to Adam.

Yes, he did get caught up in a web of desire and love. He wanted to own Thomas completely, body and soul.

Adam soon realized that the small scribe wasn’t as fragile as he thought. Nor was he as quiet in bed as he was outside Adam’s rooms. In fact, Thomas’s sex drive seemed to heighten significantly when young Prince Adam lorded over him; and Adam got his wish to hear Thomas scream his name, over and over.

Thinking on those times, Adam looked forward to Thomas’ transformation with heightened eagerness. This time it would be forever. His Thomas would be an immortal and he would no longer have to face eternity alone. He would no longer worry that fate would once again cut their time together short.

Adam’s musings turned dark with the memory of what fate had robbed him of once before. It had been many centuries since he was consumed by such anger.

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After he laid his reason for living back down on the ground, he slowly stood and saw that he was in a small circle of calm on the battlefield. His men made a wide circle around him, protecting him while he held Thomas. He no longer needed or wanted that protection. He had one reason to live now, and that was revenge.

As Adam lifted his sword, a red haze filled his vision; a haze of hate. He ran to where the fighting was thickest, followed by his men and slayed the enemy with the fierceness of a berserker. He had no fear; he felt nothing. His only goal was to kill and be killed.

Adam’s ferocity inspired his men to fight with the same wild abandon as they protected him from the death he sought. His sword slashed and stabbed his way through the enemy’s ranks, killing and maiming until the land was drenched in blood and the stench of death filled the air. Though he grew tired, the prince was convinced that he would die this day and needed to be able to let his Thomas know that he had avenged him.

By the time night fell, the only ones left standing were those protecting Lambertia. All the men that had come onto their land from Lazamay were either dead, dying, or had run. The battle was over and Prince Adam still lived. Overcome with exhaustion and grief, he fell to the ground and cursed it for not calling him to his grave as it had his Thomas.

His men carried his spent body back to the castle as well as those wounded and slayed. Word spread of his hard won battle to all who would pay heed. When Adam caught wind of these stories, he scoffed at them but kept his mouth shut. The truth was he didn’t remember anything about the conflict after losing his Thomas.

Adam took care of his lover’s body himself, allowing no one else to touch him. He cleaned him, oiled him and wrapped him in a shroud of the finest cloth. The pyre was tall and difficult for the Prince to traverse with the body, but he wanted his beloved as close to the Gods as he could get, making his entry into their abode easier. He lit the pyre himself and watched it burn through the night until only ashes were left. All this he did with dry eyes.

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=263a81w)

Tommy woke up when Adam stirred beside him.

“I have to leave,” Adam informed him, “but, you should go back to sleep. You need the rest.”

It was true, Tommy was exhausted, but he woke very irritable. He wasn’t about to just snuggle back into bed now.

“What did you do to me?” Tommy demanded.

“I didn’t do anything to you,” Adam replied.

“I’m not buying it. I’m straight,” Tommy didn’t try to mask his anger. He hated not being in control of his senses, and he hadn’t been last night.

“There _is_ a reason you would be attracted to me. I’ve been trying to tell you.”

“Did you compel me the same way you stopped me from leaving?”

“No. I wouldn’t do that just to get you in bed. You came with me willingly, and you know it. While you don’t remember me, your soul does. You’re mine, Thomas. Mine.”

“I’m _NOT_ yours! And quit fucking calling me Thomas! My name is Tommy!”

“Get some sleep. I’ll see you tonight,” Adam said with a sigh as he pulled on his coat and left.

Tommy replayed his night with Adam in his mind. It was very arousing and that surprised Tommy to his core. Unable to sleep, he got out of bed and stood under the shower, trying to ease the prickling need for Adam’s touch. _I’m so fucked._

* * *

He tried to keep his daytime routine the same, but after only a couple days, it was killing him. His nightly pastime was wreaking havoc on his life.

Tommy was exhausted and short of temper. He’d always had problems sleeping in the past, but it was worse now. All he wanted to do was sleep, but his thoughts wouldn’t shut off long enough to permit it. He also ached all over and it was an ache he didn’t understand. The only discomforts he really understood were the pains in his neck and when he tried to sit.

Sex with Adam was better than anything he’d ever experienced before. The aftermath, though, was hard for him to reconcile. Every day, he swore he was going to say no that night, and every night he wanted more, harder, rougher. Tommy touched the bruise on his neck where Adam sunk his fangs in the heat of passion and drained him of just enough blood that he felt lightheaded and dizzy afterwards. The worst part was that Tommy didn’t mind it one bit. In fact he liked it; he enjoyed the pleasure mixed in with the sharp pain. It felt like Adam could suck an orgasm right out of his neck. Afterwards though, Tommy was tired and lethargic, and his inability to sleep rarely permitted a full recovery of his strength. He felt like he was being pulled down into a vortex, spinning around and around with no way out.

* * *

It was Wednesday at sun down and Tommy was irritable. It had been another sleepless day, and his reflection revealed circles under his eyes so dark that no amount of makeup would hide them. Every little sound got under his nerves and he knew Adam would soon be there.

Tommy wanted to pound his fist against the wall in frustration because of the lack of options available to him. Adam kept telling him to tie up his loose ends, but he just _couldn’t._ He wanted his life back and he wanted to hate the man, _the vampire,_ who was taking it from him, but if he were honest with himself, he found he was falling for the man. There was something about Adam that he was attracted to, and it was more than just the sex. Even though Adam seemed convinced that he would soon remember the past that Adam believes they had together, there was nothing to fucking remember. He was Tommy Joe Ratliff!

He heard a noise and turned, knowing Adam would be standing behind him.

“Thomas,” Adam said with a soft breath. Tommy looked up at him while Adam studied his face. “You look tired. Have you been drinking enough water?”

“What fucking difference does it make if I drink or not? You’re still going to drain my blood in the end. Just, please, give me my life back,” Tommy implored, near to tears in his frustration. He pounded Adam’s chest with the sides of his fists while his voice kept getting louder until he was yelling.

Adam wrapped his arms around Tommy and held him close: too close for his blows to land with any impact. “Thomas, relax,” Adam began, but he was cut off.

“And quit fucking calling me Thomas! My name is Tommy! I’m not who you think I am!” Tommy cried out, struggling to escape Adam’s hold on him.

“Alright! Calm down. At least I’m giving you some time to get your things in order,” Adam replied.

“I don’t want some time to get my things in order! I want my life back! I’m sick of feeling powerless! I want some control of my own fucking life!” he demanded.

Adam was holding him so close that his scent was cutting through Tommy’s anger. He looked up into Adam’s blue eyes and then down to his full and freckled lips. The next thing Tommy knew, he’d locked onto Adam’s lips and began to hungrily kiss him.

There was nothing sweet about the kiss. It was hard and toothy and demanding. Tommy kept control of it, searching, seeking, _claiming_ Adam’s mouth, biting his lips and delivering all the anger and frustration he was feeling into that kiss.

Tommy didn’t even think about his actions as he kissed Adam. When Adam’s arms loosened around him, Tommy’s hands were everywhere, touching and squeezing, getting to know the feel of Adam under his fingers.

He began pulling at the vampire’s clothes, trying to remove them faster than he was able to and getting more frustrated all the time, but refusing to break the kiss. Finally Adam began pulling off his own clothes while Tommy backed him into the bedroom. Adam was naked and reaching out to remove Tommy’s belt when Tommy pushed him down on the bed.

They were both hard and leaking by the time Tommy was freed from his pants. He didn’t understand much of what was happening, only his desire to hurt the vampire and have him share a little of his own helplessness. Adam seemed to understand that and did nothing to stop him.

Tommy’s mouth moved down to Adam’s chest and sucked on his nipple until it stood in a hard little nub. He bit it sharply and got a satisfying gasp from Adam before he laved over it with his tongue.

The anger, the frustration and the lust all came to a head when Adam grabbed Tommy’s swollen cock with a lubed hand and began to stroke it quickly. Tommy was ready to come right there, but he wasn’t having any of that. Slapping Adam’s hand away, Tommy pushed him over onto his stomach and climbed between his thighs. When Tommy grabbed his hips, the man below him rose up on his knees. With no preparation, Tommy lined up and pushed into him. The half whimper, half whine that Adam made was like music to Tommy’s ears, making it even better.

Tommy was in a haze of anger and lust, pounding into Adam mercilessly. When Adam reached under himself and began stroking, Tommy knew he should be doing that, but he was _too angry!_

It didn’t take long for Adam to come and his insides squeezed around Tommy’s cock. It was more than Tommy could take. He shoved in once more, burying himself to the hilt and came hard. He cried out in ecstasy; his voice joining Adam’s in relief.

He slumped over Adam’s back; feeling drained both emotionally and physically. He slowly pulled out and slid down next to Adam on the mattress. Only moments later, he was breathing evenly and deeply as sleep finally took him.


	3. Bargaining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are five steps, or phases, that people go through when faced with the death of a loved one, or while facing their own death. These steps are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. They don’t always go in that order, and those feelings switch back and forth as we go through the process until we can accept completely.
> 
> This is a story about a prince who lost the love of his life, and found a way to get him back. The price he paid was high. He spent centuries wandering the earth as a vampire, waiting for his lover to return to him.
> 
> This is also about the one he loved; reincarnated in everything but memory, and finding his life is about to change at the hands of that vampire. This is a story of both of their struggles as they work their ways through these steps and come to accept that change is a part of life.

  
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Prince Adam locked himself in his rooms and paced, haunted by Thomas’ lingering presence. The scrolls that littered his desk filled with his beloved’s handwriting, night clothes still tangled in the bed covers, a long blond hair hanging on the back of a chair; he saw Thomas everywhere. It was driving him crazy to keep expecting the light of his life to walk into the room, knowing he never would again.

In bed that night, surrounded by the scent of his lover that still lingered in the pillows, he heard the words that accompanied his last breaths, “I’ll be back, my love.” It was almost a promise, Adam thought sadly. He realized Thomas’ concern, even in his dying moment, was still for Adam’s well-being. It brought his grief to a head and he finally broke down and cried deep into the night.

With the new day came possibilities. He knew of a crone who lived deep in the woods. He’d never met her, but the rumors said she possessed powers, and could speak to the dead or curse a person if she were in the mood.

Already cursed with his life barren of his true love’s warmth, he had nothing to lose. He didn’t know if the rumors were true, but he had to try something. Sending orders to have his horse readied, he dressed into clean riding clothes. If his servants thought it odd that the prince didn’t require a hunting party to accompany him into the woods, they spoke nothing of it.

It took him a good part of the morning to find her shack hidden in the woods, but find it he did. He tied up his horse to a small tree near her door, and before he could raise his hand to knock, the door swung open.

“Well, well, well. Look who we have here. What brings the Prince of Lambertia to my door? When a man of your station seeks me out, it’s a harbinger of troubled times. If you are looking to start trouble, I suggest you leave now,” the old crone warned.

The woman was short and frail. Her thin and wispy gray hair stuck out as if she had been struck by lightning. Her voice was high pitched and cracking, possibly from disuse. She was dressed like a peasant woman, however, unlike most peasants, the rags she wore were clean. Her green eyes seemed to pierce right through him, and into his soul.

He took a calming breath before he spoke. “I am here in search of your counsel. It is rumored that you know of ancient ways. I have come to find out if the dead can keep promises,” Adam said.

The crone looked at him long and hard. “You’ve lost a loved one. You wear your pain like a soldier wears his armor. I wish I had your answer, but there is one who knows more than I about the other-world, and she may be able to help you. Travel toward the sun until it is high in the sky. You will see a calm lake to your right. Follow the foot trail around to the other side and you will come upon another cottage. The one who resides there may have your answers,” the old woman told the Prince, and closed the door in his face.

With no better ideas, he followed the directions and did in fact come to a small, calm lake to his right. Tying up his horse, he followed the path on foot until he came to another small cottage. He found an old woman, bent over and working in the garden there.

“Madam, I come here seeking help and information.”

The woman looked up and stared at him with her rheumy eyes, her hands never leaving the dirt they were digging in. “I cannot give you the answers you seek. Travel with the sun over your right shoulder, and you will see hills before you. Follow the trail to the trees that remain green all year and you will find your answers there,” the woman croaked out.

Adam shook his head. “How can you send me on my way when you know not what I seek?” he asked, his frustration mounting.

“You wish to return your lover to your arms, do you not?” the old woman asked, still busy toiling the earth.

Adam opened his mouth, but unable to give voice to his surprise, merely nodded his response.

“I know many things. Yet, what you seek is knowledge I do not possess. Find the one in the hills and you will garner your answers,” the hag told him, and then turned her back to the prince and continued tending her garden, leaving Adam staring at her in confusion.

Frustrated, the young prince felt as if he was being sent on a wild goose chase. He turned and left the quiet cottage by the lake, found his horse and headed east again.

He ended up going to four old crones before the day was through. It was evening when he walked up to the last cottage, and felt sickened by the overpowering smell of garlic. The woman had garlic hanging from the fence and gate that surrounded her place. There was garlic hanging from her door and all of her windows, and there was garlic hanging around her neck when she answered the door.

She was older and frailer than the others, only coming up to his waist with her hunched back, and she needed to lean on a stick to get around. Adam wondered how she managed out here in the wilderness, alone. There was never a shortage of vagabonds to pillage the land, yet she survived.

“Please, madam. I come here seeking help and information. I was told you could help me,” Adam began.

The woman turned her cloudy eyes upon him, and smiled a toothless smile. “Come inside. The sun is setting and nothing will be safe outside, soon,” the old crone implored.

Adam entered the foul smelling building, and tried not to choke on the scent of garlic. The old woman slowly led him to a table with two chairs, and bid him to sit. She then poured tea for them both and sat.

“You are determined to have found me, young prince,” the old woman said sipping on her cup of tea.

No longer surprised at having been recognition by the crones, Adam stayed silent, contemplating the dark, steamy drink in front of him.

“The cup holds only tea not answers. However, you need to look inside for what you are willing to give up in search of your answers. You might find you are unwilling to pay the price.” The old crone was cryptic with her words, giving him reason to pause.

“I would give my life.” Adam pledged. “Is there any higher price?”

The crone beheld him with blind eyes and smiled her toothless grin. “You give your life cheaply. What of your father? What of your family? What of your kingdom?” the crone asked in return.

“Must they die for me to be with the one I love?” Adam asked, devastated at the thought.

“There are many kinds of death,” the crone replied.

“I beseech you to speak so I can understand!”

“Can you hand your brother the crown and walk away? Can you leave your kingdom, never to return just for a chance to be reunited with your fair one? Can you… live with that?” the crone asked.

The word ‘yes’ was on the tip of his tongue, but Adam knew better than to surrender to the impulse of the heart without forethought. He considered life for his subjects under Neil’s rule. His brother would make a competent ruler and had no vice that would ruin the kingdom, save for a stubborn streak which Adam hoped a wife would temper. He considered a life without friends, without family, without a home. None of these considerations, except for the hurt he would cause his father, gave him pause: Life without Thomas was intolerable.

“I will accept your trade, woman. Tell me how my Thomas can come back to me!” Adam demanded.

Adam was used to getting what he wanted, and it came through in his voice. That didn’t faze the old woman at all, though. “The way is dangerous, and the results are questionable, but there is only one who can help you. Whether he will or not is yet to be seen.

“There is a cave in the hills to the east. I cannot tell you where exactly it is, but he is there. You may have to wander long to find it, and it must be at night. When your horse shies in terror, you will know you are close. I will make you a garland of garlic for protection, that is all I can do for you,” the crone said.

With that, she rose and went to a basket filled with garlic and strung some through a length of twine. She placed the garland around Adam’s neck and slowly made her way to the door. She opened it, and turned to the prince, who was just standing. “May the good spirits look over you,” she said, and dismissed Adam.

Adam’s lack of sleep and grief should have had him dead asleep by now, but the hope he perceived that his answer was near kept him buoyant. Going east, Adam quickly left the woods that hid the last old crone’s house, and he could easily see the hills she was referring to.

He was grateful for the open spaces and the nice breeze that blew the pungent aroma of the garlic away. He didn’t know if it was necessary to wear the necklace the old woman made for him, but she seemed to know what she was talking about. She knew what he was seeking, anyway.

He rode as the moon made its way high into the night sky, occasionally hidden behind clouds that quickly blew away. The night was bright for the most part, and the ride was smooth; and he was grateful for the horse beneath him. Abacus had been trained by the best since he was a foal, and never had Adam seen another horse compare in speed or stamina. Despite a long day of riding, Abacus was holding up well.

By the time Adam made it to the hills, the anticipation that had been keeping him going had worn off, and he was swaying in his saddle. The ground was no longer even and the sky was becoming overcast, and he had slowed his horse to a walk.

Adam could no longer keep his eyes open, and was almost thrown when his horse reared and whinnied. He pulled on the reins and patted Abacus’ neck to try to calm him. Dismounting, Adam tied his horse to a nearby tree and tried to see clearly through the darkness.

With his horse still panicking, Adam couldn’t hear if anyone or anything was near. “Who’s there?” he asked, his hand reaching for his knife. His long experience told him his sword would only get tangled in the trees and bushes that surrounded him.

There was no answer.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up and his horse struggled to break free of his reins. Adam stared into the dark night and could see nothing.

When he heard the voice, it came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time and Adam questioned the wisdom of his quest. “Why are you disturbing my sanctuary?” the voice asked.

Adam jerked in surprise and spun, struggling to see who was there. “Where are you?”

A hand settled on his shoulder and Adam quickly turned to face its owner, unsheathing his knife in the same motion. His heart was trying to beat its way through his ribs and a cold sweat covered his body. Adam didn't scare easily, but the macabre nature of this meeting had him rattled.

There was very little he could make out about the man, beyond the very long, thin fingers on the hand that withdrew from Adam’s shoulder. And then he heard that voice again, and it sent chills up his spine.

“I am here. What I want to know is why you are. Don’t you know it’s dangerous in these hills at night?” the eerie voice asked.

“I was told that. I was also told that I had to come at night to seek the man who resides in the cave, and that only he can help me,” Adam replied, although his words lacked their usual confidence.

The hand that had been on his shoulder reached out and lifted the wreath of garlic so it was in front of Adam’s face. “What could you have done to upset that old hag enough to send you to me?” the voice asked.

“She said the garlic would protect me,” Adam said, squeezing the hilt of the knife so tight that his knuckles had to be white.

“This is supposed to protect you? From what, a lover's kiss? Do you not tire of the smell yet?” the man mocked. He lifted the garlic from Adam’s neck and tossed it high into a tree, ignoring the knife completely. “Do you see how little protection a mere herb is? Not even worth the discomfort of smelling it.”

Adam felt helpless despite the knife in hand. He sensed his weapon was both observed and ignored, and for the first time in a really long time, he could taste fear.

“You have piqued my curiosity. Please, join me in my present dwelling and tell me your tale. You may tether your horse at the entrance so he may graze. Come,” the almost bodiless voice commanded.

Adam sheathed his knife, calmed his horse some and managed to follow, dark as it was. The cave was very near, shielded from view by a line of trees. The area was grassy near the cave, and Adam tied his horse to a strong branch and before he entered.

The man was tending a small fire by the time Adam entered. When he straightened, Adam got his first good look at him. He looked ancient and his gauntness belied the ease with which he moved. The man had ears that stuck out on his bald head and his eyebrows were thick and dark. His sunken eyes were hidden in the shadows and they had a hollow look to them. His fingers weren’t as long as Adam first thought; the man’s nails looked like claws and made his fingers appear longer. The man’s appearance screamed frailness, but there was an aura of such power surrounding him that he scared the hell out of Adam.

“I am called Nosferatu. Welcome to my humble abode,” the ancient looking man said.

“Thank you. I am Adam, Prince Heir to the Lambertia kingdom,” Adam responded.

“You are the Heir to the crown, and visiting me? Entertain me then, and share your story with me,” Nosferatu bid.

Adam was unsure of himself, it felt uncomfortable sharing his story with this eerie vision of a man, and so he told his tale slowly, watching Nosferatu for a reaction. He started at the beginning, told how he first met the scribe called Thomas. He shared stories of their time together and finally he shared Thomas’ final words to him.

When Adam finally finished his tale, he looked up from the fire to the Nosferatu’s gaunt face. “Is it possible for him to return to me?”

“Yes,” he replied. “If you live long enough.”

“How do you know this? No one has been able to give me the answers I seek. Have you been reunited with a loved one?” Adam asked.

Nosferatu’s expression turned to sadness or nostalgia, Adam wasn’t sure which. “No, my kind never returned, but your kind have been known to come back. It may take a lifespan or more, but some souls return.”

“A lifespan or more?” Adam exclaimed. “I’ll be dead by the time he returns.” Adam hung his head, crestfallen. “I would do anything to have him back at my side.”

“I do not usually involve myself in the plight of humans, yet I am inclined to assist you. Perhaps you have reminded me how empty my own existence has been without my own beloved by my side.” Nosferatu spoke without looking at Adam, almost as if he spoke to himself or the walls. “I am one of the first-born, here since the world was new.”

“What, you aren’t human? What are you then?” Adam asked.

“Immortal. Or cursed,” Nosferatu smiled. “It really depends on who you ask. I believe I may now be the last of my kind. I haven’t seen another for centuries.”

“What happened?” Adam asked.

“Humans. You made weapons, learned to fight us off. Hunting parties killed us off one at a time. Some of us sided with the humans, some of us wanted to kill off the humans, by the time the battle was over everyone still alive went into hiding until we became nothing more than the monsters in an old crone’s tale,” Nosferatu explained.

“Your love?”

“Died at Immortal hands...”

“And you have the means to help me?” Adam asked.

“To what end would you ask for immortality?” Nosferatu asked.

“I shall wait for my lover’s return,” Adam declared.

“Nothing more?” Nosferatu asked.

Adam stared at him confused. “What other reason would I have than to wait for my Thomas?”

“Revenge?” Nosferatu questioned.

The man’s meaning became clear to Adam. “I’ve had my revenge,” Adam explained. “It left me feeling just as barren and empty as I was before I let loose a river of blood.”

“You are honest,” Nosferatu observed.

“One can hardly lay claim to nobility without candor.”

Nosferatu made a strange sound akin to laughter. “You will excuse me if I do not share your faith in the virtues of the noble born.”

“Sometimes, neither do I,” Adam admitted.

“I have granted eternity to a few humans over the years only to have to kill them myself when their murderous intentions were revealed. It has been a long while since I’ve even considered it. Only the search for your love moves me to consider it now. If I grant you this, you will stay with me until you can survive in the human populous without bringing attention to yourself, or to me.”

“Will my Thomas still want me as a frail old man?” Adam pondered.

“You will not be a frail old man. Ever. Your appearance will remain as it is today, throughout eternity. It will be your… eating habits that will differ. Your lover will not recognize you, though. You will have to seek him out. When you find him, there will be no doubt in your heart that it is he. And you will have to help him remember.”

There was no hesitation at all when Adam responded. “Yes. Anything it takes to have my Thomas back. What do I have to do?”  


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The sun was shining brightly into his windows when Tommy finally pulled himself from sleep. He stretched out on his bed and let out a yawn, feeling better than he had in days. When he sat up and realized that sitting wasn’t uncomfortable, his mind wandered back to the night before.

Tommy knew he was straight; he’d never been attracted to a man before. But Adam seemed to be making a mockery of that straightness. _Was it because Adam was a Vampire?_

He remembered how angry he was and how he had taken it out on Adam. The vampire could easily have stopped him at any time, but he didn’t, and Tommy wondered why. The fact that Adam had let him sleep all night was a puzzle, also. Normally, the vampire had been claiming every minute of Tommy’s night and seemed determined to convince him that he was in fact Thomas, reborn.

He didn’t like the feelings that the vampire stirred in him. As much as he didn’t want to admit it even to himself, he was disappointed that Adam couldn’t accept him for who he was.

Tommy was pretty sure his time was running out, and he had to come up with some way to put Adam off for a while. Maybe Adam could come to love him as himself, and would no longer feel the need to take him from everything he knew.

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Adam finished making arrangements that would soon be needed and returned to Thomas. He wished that his lover could remember, and then this change wouldn’t be so terrifying to him.

He thought of the condition Thomas was in last night, so exhausted and angry. He’d had no problem allowing Thomas to take his frustrations out on him. There was no way Thomas could hurt him physically, and it was much safer for the lad to do that than if he were to go out looking for a fight.

As he thought back on last night, it was clear to him that Thomas’ soul recognized him; had called out to him, submitted to him, and last night, claimed him. It was also clear that Thomas was angry, and that was something Adam didn’t understand at all.

 _How can I fix this?_ Adam contemplated. It dawned on him that it would have been less complicated to turn Thomas without his consent on that first night. Maybe it was a foolish idea to give him time to remember and tie up loose ends. He’d hoped his lost love would have no problem with the idea of the transition and leaving this life behind to be him.

Adam resolved to see what this night brought before he reneged on the short reprieve he was granting Thomas.

When he arrived in his apartment, the fey man was sitting on the sofa holding one of his guitars. Adam hadn’t seen him near any of his guitars since that night at the bar. Although Adam had not made a noise and Thomas hadn’t looked up, he knew his lover felt his presence when he began speaking. “Why do I have to tie up loose ends? I love the band I’m in, and I’ll miss all my friends and family.”

“You will be newly turned and you will have many things to learn. It will be a while before you can live alongside humans without notice,’ Adam explained.

“Where will we go?”

“To the woods, initially.”

“I don’t want to,” Tommy stated simply.

“It will be for the best,” Adam said.

Tommy shook his head. “No. Please. Allow me to keep my family and dreams. I promise I’ll stay with you, even in my human form,” Tommy offered. “Please Adam! I’ll do anything, but please let me keep my life. I’ll spend my nights with you and take what I can from the day for myself. I’ll protect you and feed you and make love to you every night if you just don’t take the things that are important to me away,” the beautiful man pleaded.

It was a bargain Adam was tempted to strike, but knew he could not. He was playing with fire as it was; a vampire and a human in bed together every night. Their strength was mismatched and for as long as Thomas remained a human, he was in danger. Thomas wouldn’t be able to survive even one more full feeding; the most Adam could hope for were mouthfuls during orgasm. He hated to disappoint him but he refused to let the one he’d waited so long for slip through his fingers again. He also didn’t want to lie to his Thomas, so he felt his best bet was to somehow get off this subject completely.

Adam leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Thomas’ mouth before pulling away and sitting at the other end of the sofa. “Would you play something for me?” Adam asked, indicating the guitar in Thomas’ hands.

Tommy looked down at the one in his hands and got up to swap it for his acoustic. Returning to his seat, he tuned it and began playing. Adam closed his eyes, recalling all the times in years gone by when his Thomas would play the lute for him. Adam could hear how much his lover had improved since he was a scribe.

After a couple songs, Adam stood and held his hand out to the beautiful lad. He felt guilty knowing that he was leading Thomas to believe that he would give him more time, but giving him a chance to remember and get his things in order was hurting him more.

Sitting the guitar aside, Thomas took his hand and followed him into the bedroom. As Adam undressed him, he greedily touched and kissed every new patch of skin that was revealed. He was gentle and loving, taking special care so that this beautiful man would relax, and he could make love to his Thomas as he had long, long ago.

He kissed his way down Thomas’ chest to his nipples; dark compared to the whiteness of his skin. Thomas had his hands tangled in his hair and quiet noises were escaping his throat as Adam ran his tongue down the center of his stomach to dip into his navel; gently nipping and licking. Lowering himself to his knees, he continued down the line of hair to the band on his underwear; his pants hung even lower. Thomas jerked with desire as Adam licked back and forth at the elastic as he unbuckled the belt and popped the fly to let his jeans fall. It thrilled him to know that Thomas desired him.

Adam pulled his shoes off and tossed them aside while Thomas kept his balance by holding onto his shoulders. As Thomas lifted a foot to free it from his jeans, Adam kissed and ran his tongue along the inside of his thigh to sweet sounds coming from Thomas. When he lifted the other foot, Adam’s mouth latched on the crease between his thigh and crotch, burying his face there as he lapped and sucked at the sensitive skin. Thomas’ quiet sounds became whimpers, which went right to Adam’s dick, making it stand hard and demanding.

His desire to have the fey man in front of him was overwhelming, but he also wanted him to remember. He willed memories at him of the past when they made love together, which only increased his own desire for his Thomas.

He wrapped his mouth around Thomas’ erection through his underwear, teasing and tasting the dampness from the man that was once his. He sucked air into his mouth, pulling the cool breeze over his lover's hot, wet dick just to watch him shiver. Grabbing the elastic, he slowly pulled the shorts down, licking and sucking on the stiff and heavy cock in front of him. Adam teased him in all the ways he had in the past, praying something would click and unlock his lost love’s memories.

With Thomas’ whimpers and thrusts, Adam looked up into eyes that were so dark they looked black. Thomas’ desire was so strong he could taste it. Adam rose and backed his lover to the bed, their mouths latched in a sinfully delicious kiss.

Watching as his Thomas scooted to the middle of the bed; Adam undressed and quickly joined him. He covered the man's beautiful body with his own, taking pleasure in the heat that radiated from him. Their limbs entwined as he cradled his mate’s head and kissed him passionately. Thomas’ kisses were so sweet, so loving; Adam could almost believe that he was again in the past with his lover.

Thomas’ arms wrapped around him and pulled him closer. He seemed more involved being with Adam tonight. Perhaps it was just because Thomas believed he would get more ‘life’ if he cooperated. Adam wasn’t sure, but he enjoyed the change.

Adam moved on from the kiss to nuzzling at the many hoops in Thomas’ ear, pulling on them and scraping his teeth over the shell as his beloved sucked in a breath. The man squirmed under him in such an enticing way, rubbing their erections with a quiet whimper.

He kissed his way to Thomas’ neck. Although he denied himself what he wanted most, he ran his nose over the heartbeat, drowning in the intoxicating aroma that made Adam’s mouth water and his fangs begin to lengthen. Thomas stretched his neck back, making himself more available, and Adam ran his tongue up his jugular once, twice, a third time, before he pulled himself away from the temptation. He wasn’t sure now if Thomas believed his change would be put off, or if his memories were returning.

He worked his way down Thomas’ body, suckling on his nipples the way he’d always loved, until they were hard little nubs. Down further, until he dipped his tongue into the little pot of his navel. Adam’s hands roamed everywhere, touching… seeking… learning all over again what his Thomas loved in this life. From the squirming, moaning man below him, he was sure he was aroused by it all.

Adam made impassioned love to the man below him with his mouth and hands until they were both moaning and panting in desire. Sliding lubed fingers between Thomas’ legs, Adam teased and entered him, luxuriating in the velvety feel while stretching his lover until he was begging for release. Adam could wait no longer, and turned his beloved over, raising his hips. Lavishly coating himself with lube, Adam slowly pushed into him, stopping only when he was buried in an attempt to find some kind of control again.

With fingers tight and bruising on Thomas’ hips, he finally began to move. Like all the other times, it took Adam back to the intimacy they shared in the past as he slid in and out. He knew neither of them would last very long, so he pulled Thomas up against his chest and thrust up into him, hitting his prostate and making him groan long and loud.

Thomas gripped the arm that he had wrapped around the smaller man’s chest. With his other hand, Adam began stripping his lover’s dick in time to thrusting inside him, and his lover’s groan changed and grew louder. “Adam… Adam… ADAM!” When he heard his name spill from his beloved’s lips, Adam’s heart filled with joy. Thomas came hard over Adam’s hand, squeezing… pulsing… milking Adam’s cock inside him until Adam could wait no longer.

“Thommasss!” Adam cried as he came gloriously hard. He sunk his teeth into Thomas’ neck, unable to restrain himself. The nectar of his lover’s blood made him swoon before he ran his tongue over the new incisions to close them.

He lowered his lover’s chest, still holding his hips to keep them together. Slowly, he pulled out of Thomas and flopped over on his back, totally sated.

And then his fey beauty broke the spell. “Please quit calling me Thomas,” he begged, half asleep.

Adam sighed in disappointment. He had really thought memories were returning to his beloved. He wrapped himself around the smaller man and realized for the first time that he would fall for this beauty even if he wasn’t his Thomas reborn.


	4. Depression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are five steps, or phases, that people go through when faced with the death of a loved one, or while facing their own death. These steps are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. They don’t always go in that order, and those feelings switch back and forth as we go through the process until we can accept completely.
> 
> This is a story about a prince who lost the love of his life, and found a way to get him back. The price he paid was high. He spent centuries wandering the earth as a vampire, waiting for his lover to return to him.
> 
> This is also about the one he loved; reincarnated in everything but memory, and finding his life is about to change at the hands of that vampire. This is a story of both of their struggles as they work their ways through these steps and come to accept that change is a part of life.

  
[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=2ueoebm)   


  
[](http://tinypic.com?ref=263a81w)

Tommy woke after a short nap and rolled over into Adam, looking up into his breathtakingly beautiful, blue eyes. Adam had been carding his fingers through his hair, something that he had loved since he was little when his mother did it.

Adam’s expression was filled with love, and something Tommy couldn’t quite pinpoint. Worry, perhaps? He’d never been attracted to men before, but so many things about Adam just seemed to click into place within him; almost like a lost piece of a puzzle.

Sex with Adam was surprisingly, amazing. Each time had been like the first, only more intense. The thing that struck him the strangest was how much more he enjoyed it with Adam inside him than the other way around. That was something he never would have dreamed.

But Adam was a vampire and that scared the hell out of him. The constant ache in his neck where he sunk his fangs was proof of that. Adam was such an enigma, too. He really wanted to know more about Adam, the man.

Just then, Tommy’s cell phone started playing ‘A Love Song’ by Marilyn Manson. The phone was on the nightstand closer to Adam, who reached over and picked it up.

“Hey! Give that to me!” Tommy demanded.

Holding it out of his reach, Adam looked at the caller ID and rejected the call. “Who is Liz?” Adam demanded.

“How fucking _dare_ you disconnect that call! That’s my phone!” Tommy‘s anger, that had been on low boil from his powerlessness the past few days, flared. “Fuck! That might be something important. Give me my phone!”

“I asked you who Liz was,” Adam reiterated.

“She’s my girlfriend. Now give me my phone!”

“I told you to tie up your loose ends. Start with that one,” Adam told him, his voice tense and his warning clear.

He glared daggers at the vampire. “Why would I want to do that?” He didn’t ask so much as challenge.

“I’d hate to see something bad happen to her,” Adam calmly responded.

Tommy was devastated and suddenly he lost all his fear of Adam. “You’re threatening to kill Liz? What next? You going to kill me, too?”

He could see that Adam was struggling to remain calm. “No. It’s a very rare thing for me to kill, but you are _mine_ , and I don’t share what’s mine! You should have been getting your affairs in order and saying your good byes. You can’t keep putting it off.”

“Why can’t you just accept me the way I am?” Tommy argued.

Adam pulled him close and kissed the top of his head. “I do accept you the way you are, Thomas. I just don’t want to chance losing you ever again,” Adam replied.

“My name is Tommy! If you accept me the way I am, call me by my name!” he cried, struggling feebly to escape Adam’s arms. He was so angry with Adam, but he wasn’t so sure he wanted to be rid of the man. It was the vampire part of him that Tommy wanted to lose.

“Alright! Calm down. You still have time to get your things in order,” Adam rose up on his elbow and seemed to be measuring not only his words, but also Tommy’s reaction to them, which worried the hell out of Tommy. “Preparations are set for us to leave this weekend.”

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=fleogx)

Adam regretted telling Thomas as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He could tell that he had just devastated his lover.

“Please, not yet.”

Thomas was begging, and it tore at his heart. “I can’t wait any longer. It would be so much easier if you could just remember, Thomas,” he explained quietly.

“I’m not Thomas! Can’t you understand that? I’m Tommy!”

Adam realized once again that he should have just turned him with no forewarning, the way he himself was changed so long ago.

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=8x3qfs)  


Nosferatu reached out and pulled Adam close to him. Adam was appalled when Nosferatu bit into his own wrist and shoved it into Adam’s mouth. Adam was powerless to escape the hold Nosferatu held him in. The taste was bitter, not metallic as he knew blood to taste. “Drink if you wish to be reunited with your loved one. Suck hard, for my blood is thick from age and not feeding. Drink, before the wounds heal, and your chance is lost.”

Adam sucked the vile stuff from shriveled veins. He sucked a full mouthful, doing his best not to gag on it and swallowed it. He managed to suck another partial mouthful before the wounds sealed and disappeared. He swallowed again, doing his best to not heave the thick fluid back up. He was panting when Nosferatu released him, struggling to calm his stomach.

When Adam finally felt he was in control of himself, he stood and looked at the thin man before him. Adam was taken by surprise when Nosferatu grabbed him by the nap of his hair, and then sunk his fangs, which Adam hadn’t seen until just then, into his neck. The pain was horrendous as teeth ripped into the tender skin above his artery. He wanted to fight and protect himself with all his will, but found he couldn’t lift his arms or move in any way. Mouthful after mouthful of his life’s blood was sucked out, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He heard as his heart beat sped faster and faster in his ears before blackness rescued him from his fear and pain.

The moon had risen on the following night when Adam’s eyes opened and he sat up. The first thing he saw was Nosferatu watching him. “Welcome to eternity,” the man greeted.

Adam felt strange. Although he didn’t hurt or even ache in any way, he felt different. There was no fire in the cave tonight, but he could see clearly. And he had a burning thirst, the likes of which he’d never had before.

“Remember, you will stay with me until you can control yourself. I made you, and I can easily destroy you. I’m sure you’re hungry. Your horse is still tethered outside for you. Come. You need to feed.”

The words flowed over Adam like a tidal wave. _Food_ was his only thought when he stood up. He followed Nosferatu outside and heard the beating of his horse’s heart. He could smell the fear and the blood as his horse’s heart pounded in his broad chest. Adam locked eyes with the terrified beast and he stopped his rearing, allowing Adam to approach. The horse’s eyes were white with terror when Adam touched him, and he recalled this was his most treasured horse, Abacus. Those were only fleeting thoughts before he proceeded to sate his unbearable thirst.

Before the night was over, Nosferatu took him hunting. Adam quickly learned how all of his senses had improved, not just his sight. He also discovered that he was faster and stronger than he ever was. Adam was a fast study and easily took down two wolves before the sun began to rise; his hunger only slightly lessened by that time. Nosferatu led him back to the cave where they spent the daylight hours in a sleep so deep, it was as if he were dead.

Adam stayed with Nosferatu for over ten years. They traveled constantly, further and further from the land where Adam was raised. The first year or two they resided in unestablished areas so Adam wouldn’t be tempted to kill anybody. By the time they associated with people again, Adam’s thirst was easier to satisfy, and he could take his fill without killing his prey.

Nosferatu taught Adam how to mingle with society, and how to change with the fashions. He taught Adam to not be brittle in his ideas, because life itself was change. They mingled and were admired because of their mystique, and then they moved on.

Adam quickly learned how to feed off the people that surrounded him, his willing conquests, and made them forget all but the memories he left them with. Then several years after Adam had been changed, he got wind of his father’s passing and his brother’s reign.

“We must go back!” Adam insisted.

“Now is not the time to return. I am sorry for your loss, but you will put yourself at risk if you return now.

“He was my father!” Adam yelled.

“That I know, and I’m sorry. You must wait or lose your chance to be reunited with your heart’s desire,” Nosferatu explained in his soft voice.

For the last couple of years, the relationship between Nosferatu and he was companionable. Adam had been very thankful for all that he had been taught, but once again they were back to teacher and student.

As his thirst had slackened, his heartache grew, and Adam didn’t want to chance never finding his Thomas because he didn’t listen to Nosferatu’s wisdom. It tore at his heart that he couldn’t say a last good-bye, but he knew he gave up that option when he went to Nosferatu seeking help.

It was a few years after his father’s passing that Nosferatu and he went their separate ways. It turned out that when Adam found him, Nosferatu was looking forward to the long sleep of death. He was lonely for a companionship that he hadn’t had in centuries. The years together with Adam had healed a gaping need inside Nosferatu, and he planned to seek out another companion with Adam’s leaving. Adam was glad that their time together had been beneficial to both of them.

It was many, many years later before Adam returned to the land of his birth. His brother, Neil, had died with no heirs after ruling the peaceful land for over thirty years. With his passing came the wars, until Lazamay absorbed Lambertia into itself. Adam could not tolerate that. Just the thought of the land that took his Thomas from him taking over Lambertia had Adam seeing red.

He returned to the castle that was once his home, and over time, everyone who tried to rule came to a sudden death. The king of Lazamay ordered all his people to return to Lazamay, leaving Lambertia once again without a ruler. There were no wars to fight over it this time; it was widely known that the castle was cursed. No country wanted any part of it or the land. The castle was soon deserted and the people of the land left over time, looking for a kingdom to protect them. Adam realized his mistake in involving himself in things that no longer concerned him, and he felt much remorse in what he had done. He wandered the empty halls of the palace for a few years as it quickly fell into ruin from neglect. Adam knew he would never forget this mistake as he once again set off in search of his Thomas.

As the years turned into centuries, Adam found that there was nothing that happened in his time as a vampire that he forgot. Many of his memories as a human faded, but not of his time with Thomas. Those memories haunted him and as the years went by without finding him, Adam became more and more desolate. He became a wandering soul, his hope faded to ashes, his pain long overdue to end. He now understood Nosferatu’s desire to end it all.

Adam traveled to the new country and stayed out of all the decisions in the development of this new land. He traveled the continent, saw the buffalo when they were plentiful, and the Indians in their war paint. He watched as they were all destroyed at the hands of those he came to this country with. He wandered, even though he had given up all hope of ever seeing his Thomas again. He dreamed of the peace that death would grant him but he survived, much to his disappointment. The years continued to tick by as Adam continued to wander alone and lonely.

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=fleogx)  


“Can’t we wait?” Tommy beseeched.

“I’m sorry, but, no. I should have changed you when I first found you,” Adam explained.

“I can’t...” Tommy scrambled away from Adam. He didn’t get very far.

“Thomas, stop,” Adam insisted, flipping Thomas on his back and pinning him against the bed.

He held Thomas’ wrists beside his head and his lower body was caged between his thighs. He didn’t want to force Thomas to relax with a compulsion, but as a last resort he would. The man was thrashing and doing his best to escape his hold and he was doing his best to not hurt him.

Adam just didn’t understand why Thomas would act like this. _Is it possible that he really isn’t my Thomas after all? Is it just my desire for him to be so?_

The lad under him jerked in such a way that his left hand almost got loose. Adam adjusted his grip closer to his elbow, and the ink on his inner arm caught his eye. Then it captured his full attention.

 _How could I have missed that tattoo?_ Adam felt there was no way possible he could have missed it, after staring at his lover every night for almost a week. No. Possible. Way. But there it was, in spite of everything.

He glanced back to the face of his lover, contorted in anguish, and wondered if he had any idea why he had gotten that tattoo. Glancing at the rest of the ink on Thomas’ arms, he realized they were inked mostly with monsters from horror movies; some of which he’d seen and others he’d just known about.

The tat on the inside of his upper arm though, was more than just a movie monster. That person had, and possibly still does walk the earth. It was Adam’s maker; Nosferatu.

The movie representation of Nosferatu looked very similar to him. Adam had seen that movie more than once, and knew his maker must have been involved with the producer for it to look so much like him.

Thomas continued to struggle against his hold while Adam lost himself to memories of his time with Nosferatu. Clear as a bell, Adam could hear the words of his maker and teacher telling him to ‘not be brittle in his ideas, because life itself was change’. Adam realized then how he missed the ink on the inside of his lover’s arm.

Thinking back over the last few nights, drinking in the sight of his lover, he realized it was very possible to have missed it. He constantly gazed at his eyes, his lips, and his neck. He made love to his body, from top to bottom. But his man’s arms were covered in tattoos that his Thomas didn’t have. They didn’t belong on his Thomas. So if he glanced at his arms at all, his eyes slid away to the parts that he knew and remembered.

Adam had become brittle in his thinking, and that was what made finding his Thomas so difficult. Thomas didn’t remember him, because this wasn’t Thomas. This was Tommy, and all the memories he held were Tommy’s. While Thomas’ soul may reside within him, the memories were all Tommy’s. He had to quit expecting his Thomas to respond to him as long as Tommy’s heart still beat. He could only hope his Thomas would emerge after Adam changed him.

He brought his attention back to Thomas. No… Tommy. He was still struggling underneath him, terrified of being changed into a vampire. It was time Adam quit torturing him and try to ease his terror.

“I’m sorry, Tommy. Please calm down.”

  
[](http://tinypic.com?ref=263a81w)

He was so shocked at being called Tommy that he did calm down. He searched the man’s face above him to find only love and sincerity in it. He looked into eyes so blue they made his heart melt.

He didn’t understand his feeling for this man. It was almost like he had been waiting for this _man_ his whole life, because the feelings he had just looking at him were so vibrant and alive compared to all the other relationships he’d been in. But this wasn’t a man.

“What’s it like being a vampire?” he asked out of the blue.

Surprise flashed across Adam’s face before the look of adoration returned. “I have more stamina and strength. My senses are sharper and I’m much stronger. But mostly, it’s been lonely. Other than what I need to sustain myself, my existence now is much as it was when I was human,” Adam replied.

“You say your existence now. It wasn’t always like that?” Tommy asked.

Adam ran his fingers through Tommy’s hair one last time before he laid his head down on the pillow by Tommy. “No, but I’m able to resist the call of blood now, where I once couldn’t,” Adam explained.

Although he still didn’t like the idea of his life changing forever, especially as soon as this weekend, just learning more about Adam was mellowing him out. It wasn’t long before Tommy’s exhaustion got the better of him and his eyes slid closed.

* * *

  
Tommy was surprised when he awoke to an empty bed and the morning sun. Then he remembered the veiled threat to Liz, and he panicked.

He reached over to his nightstand for his phone and saw a note sitting there. He picked it up and quickly scanned it. _Please take better care of yourself. Drink more water and start taking care of your affairs. Please. ~A._

Setting the note aside, Tommy quietly begged the universe that Liz would be alright and answer her phone. The universe answered with Liz’s voice after the third ring, much to his relief.

“Hey Tommy! I tried to get a hold of you last night. Where were you?”

Now that he knew she was alright, he had no idea of what to say. He had to break off his relationship with Liz just to protect her, but doing it on the phone was a shitty way to break up. “Hey, Liz! I fell asleep early last night. Do you have any plans for today? Maybe we could get together,” Tommy suggested so he would have a little time to come up with something.

“Well, I’m going to my parents later this afternoon. Do you want to get together tonight?”

Tommy looked at the clock to discover it was going on noon. “Can I come over now? I can be there by twelve-thirty. I need to talk to you.” He had to do this today to be sure Liz would be safe.

“This sounds serious. Is anything wrong?” Liz asked.

“Yeah. I’ll talk to you about it when I get there,” Tommy said, and then hung up before Liz asked anything else.

Tossing his phone aside, Tommy took a quick shower and dressed, dreading the thought of having this talk and unsure of just what to say. By the time he was walking up to Liz’s front door, he was still unsure.

Liz invited him in and looked into Tommy’s eyes. “Jesus, Tommy! You look like hell! I’ve never seen such dark circles under your eyes!” Then her sight lowered and Tommy could tell when it locked in on the giant bruises on his neck.

“You’re seeing someone else! What’s the matter, wasn’t I enough for you? You fucking bastard! Who is the little hussy, anyway? God! How could I be so dumb to not see this coming?”

“Liz, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to tell you on the phone, but yes, there is someone else. And it's not another woman,” Tommy stated quietly.

The shocked expression on her face would have been comical if this wasn’t hurting him so bad. He let her wrestle with that idea until she finally pointed to the door. “Get out and don’t ever come back here! I feel like you’ve played me for a fool. Get out! Now!”

As much as he wanted to comfort her and remain friends, he was sure that leaving it like this would be safer for her, no matter how much it hurt him. He turned and went back through the door, which quickly slammed after he was outside. _Fuck! I hate this!_

Once he got back home, he grabbed a bottled water out of the fridge; food just didn’t sound good as upset as he was. He wandered around his apartment looking at his guitars and posters, just imagining giving them up. Lovingly he touched a picture of his parents on a shelf and wondered how he was ever going to be able to say goodbye to his mother. Next to it was a picture of his sister and niece, and the hole in his gut grew. He didn’t want to ever say goodbye to any of them and he didn’t want to die or become a vampire. Tommy couldn’t believe the turn of events in his life since Adam showed up. Dropping to his knees, he allowed the tears to flow that he’d denied up until now.

Tommy dried his tears after a short while, and decided to quit wallowing in the problem. He knew if he tried to run that he would lose this day to a haze. If he had no choice but to leave everyone he knew, he didn’t want to worry them needlessly.

As hard as it was to break it off with Liz, he knew his family would be even harder. His eyes were again caught by the pictures of his family, and he knew he would have to take them with him.

Glancing around, he picked up his acoustic guitar and realized there was nothing else of real importance to him. He took the guitar and the two pictures of his family, putting them on his bed. His white, Jimi Hendrix replica caught his eye, and Tommy quickly made some decisions about his possessions.

Throwing some items into his car, he took off to see his mother first. The whole way there, he tried very hard to stuff all his feelings so he wouldn’t break down and cry in front of her and cause her worry.

When the door opened, his mother’s eyes seemed to glow with happiness. “Tommy! It’s so good to see you!”

Tommy wrapped her in his arms and hugged her tightly, already fighting tears. “It’s good to see you, too, mom!” Gaining control of himself, he pulled back and really looked at her. She had put back on some of the weight she had lost after his dad died, and he was thankful to see that.

“Come in, honey! What brings you here today?” she asked.

Sitting in his old spot at the table, he gazed around the room and all the memories it held while his mom made them some coffee. He had so many memories from this room; the holidays when his mother cooked for the whole family, how angry his father was when he’d gotten suspended from school for pissing on the statue of the Virgin Mary and how excited we all were to find out Lisa was going to have a baby.

He was pulled from his musings when a cup of coffee was set in front of him. His mother sat next to him with a cup of her own. “You seem to be deep in thought. Is something wrong?” his mother asked.

He looked into his mother’s face, wanting to remember everything he could. “I’ve found somebody, mom.”

Her smile went all the way to her eyes. “Ahhh! That explains those marks on your neck! I didn’t think that Liz was the one for you. Who is she, Tommy? Do I get to meet her?”

He didn’t want to lie to his mother, especially now. “It’s not a girl, mom. His name is Adam. We plan on taking some time to go hiking before he takes me to his home. He’s from Europe, and I don’t know when we’ll be back.” Tommy explained, throwing as much truth in as he could.

“Oh, Tommy! I wish I could say it comes as a surprise, but I’ve suspected you were attracted to men for a long time. Will I get to meet him before you leave?”

“I don’t think so. He’s been so busy trying to get everything done so we can leave.” He paused, watching his mother’s face. “I’m going to miss you, mom.”

“I’m going to miss you, too, honey. You’ll keep in touch, won’t you? You’ll still call me, won’t you?”

“Of course, mom. You know I will,” Tommy promised, both to his mother and to himself.

Tommy visited his mother for a couple hours before he had to leave. He knew he had others to say good-bye to.

His next stop was his sister’s. He visited with her for quite a while. They talked about him leaving, how fast his niece, Bridget, was growing, and how life was treating Lisa in general. While he was there, the news reported that the missing woman, Ariel, had been found and that she was fine. The relief Tommy felt was immense. Before he left, he gave his white, Jimi Hendrix replica to Bridget for something to remember him by. Maybe she would even follow his footsteps and learn to play it.

He stopped over to Rick’s, the drummer in Mortal Exit, to let them know that he was out of the band. That didn’t go very well at all. Rick was pissed that he quit with such short notice and Tommy couldn’t blame him one bit. He gave Rick his speakers that the band sorely needed to make up for it. Tommy wouldn’t need them any longer. He apologized again and left.

By the time he got home, it was late afternoon. The sun would be setting soon, and to Tommy, it was setting on his life. Unable to contain his tears any longer, he crumpled on the sofa and cried for all the things he was about to lose.


	5. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are five steps, or phases, that people go through when faced with the death of a loved one, or while facing their own death. These steps are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. They don’t always go in that order, and those feelings switch back and forth as we go through the process until we can accept completely.
> 
> This is a story about a prince who lost the love of his life, and found a way to get him back. The price he paid was high. He spent centuries wandering the earth as a vampire, waiting for his lover to return to him.
> 
> This is also about the one he loved; reincarnated in everything but memory, and finding his life is about to change at the hands of that vampire. This is a story of both of their struggles as they work their ways through these steps and come to accept that change is a part of life.

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=2ueoebm)

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=fleogx)

As Adam made his way to be with Tommy, _yes, Tommy_ , he couldn’t help but have second thoughts. He was falling so hard for this man who didn’t act like his Thomas at all, other than in bed. _Am I being selfish to change him, when he obviously doesn’t want to be?_ He sighed as he thought of all the years that he’d roamed, looking for his Thomas. He had been so lonely, so terribly lonely.

Then, after too many years, he finally found his Thomas, only it wasn’t really his Thomas. This last week, he felt contented for the first time since he was changed. But he wondered if the price he paid to be reunited with his beloved was too high. He worried that he would be putting Tommy through the same long, lonely existence if he couldn’t love Adam back.

He was silent as ever when he entered Tommy’s bedroom to find him curled in on himself. His eyes were red and puffy, and his pillow was damp with tears. Adam’s heart went out to the fey lad, and guilt filled him; he was sure that he was the cause of those tears. If the _new_ love of his life despised the thought of spending eternity with him, maybe he could take what he could with him, however long the man’s life will be, and find a way to end his own when Tommy passed.

Sitting slowly so as not to disturb the beautiful man that stole his heart, he began combing his fingers through the long locks over his face, greedy to take in everything he could see.

Tommy woke slowly as Adam carded fingers through his hair. “Tommy, are you all right?”

Tommy seemed to really think about it before he answered. “No, not really. I’m going to miss my family. It was all I could do to tell them I would be gone for a while without crying. Please tell me I can still call them… after…”

“Yes, you can call them if you want to. That will be up to you,” Adam answered. _He started getting his affairs in order?_

There was silence as Tommy seemed to be lost in thought. Adam was filled with thoughts of his own. _Should I offer him his life back? Perhaps, I should start with letting him know how I feel about him, and then make that decision._

“Tommy…” Adam began, and faltered.

Tommy was looking at him through his red rimmed eyes, and Adam was still struck by their beauty. He leaned down to kiss his lover’s temple, but Tommy turned and their lips clashed instead. Adam was surprised to find Tommy clinging to him and kissing him passionately.

Adam’s love and desire overwhelmed him, when he broke the kiss so Tommy could breathe, he couldn’t stop the words that fell from him. “I love you, Tommy. I want to spend eternity with you.”

“You’re calling me Tommy. Does that mean you love me, or just the man you want me to be?” his loved one asked.

“I realized last night that you aren’t Thomas. I can accept that. I _do_ accept that. It is you that I have come to love. I know we haven’t been together long, but I’ve cherished every minute of it,” he explained.

“Oh, God! And all this time, I’ve felt like you couldn’t even see me, that all you saw was the person you wanted me to be.” Tommy shared. “I realized that I could easily fall in love with you. But I gotta tell you, the fact that you’re a vampire intimidated the hell out of me.”

“Are you still scared of me? I will never harm you, Tommy. That is a promise I will keep for eternity.”

“No, I don’t think I’m afraid like I was. Will it hurt when I change?”

Adam’s fears from earlier all left him when he realized Tommy was more curious than frightened about the transformation. “No. In fact, I’m pretty sure I can make sure you enjoy it,” he said with a leer. He had realized the first time he sunk his teeth into his lovers neck during sex that it heightened his lover's experience.

Tommy gave him a small smile. “Will I ever be able to visit my family?”

Running his fingers through Tommy’s locks again, Adam thought before he answered. “It really all depends on when you can get control of your thirst for blood. If it’s too many years, your family may fear you because you will never change, and they will have aged.”

Adam could see the wheels turning in Tommy’s head as he thought about that. “Did you ever return to your family?”

“No. The one who changed me,” Adam’s hand left Tommy’s hair and rubbed over the tat of Nosferatu, “told me I would be risking my chance to be with Thomas again if I returned. Instead, I found you.”

Tommy seemed to light up at those words. Adam realized the injustice he had done the lad by calling him Thomas, and he felt awful for having done that. “Would you like to know about the one who created me?” Adam asked, fingers still lingering over his loved one’s tattoo.

When Tommy seemed to brighten at those words, Adam again felt bad because he hadn’t offered him much information about himself all week. That would change, starting tonight.

Adam shared a small bit about trying to find a way to be reunited with his Thomas, but went into great detail when he met Nosferatu and the time they spent together.

Tommy seemed skeptical at first about Nosferatu being real. “Are you pulling my leg?”

“I swear that everything I’ve told you is the truth,” he replied, but could understand how unbelievable it must sound to someone of this day and age.

“Fucking awesome!” Tommy exclaimed while twisting his arm around to look at his tat. “And he really looked like this?”

Adam chuckled. “Yeah, he wasn’t very handsome, was he?”

Tommy seemed thoughtful for a moment. “Will we look like that someday? What will it be like? You know, when I’m like you?”

“We will always look as young as we do right now. Once you are changed, you will be stronger, though, and have more stamina. You will have an eternity to learn more songs on your guitar while we watch cities rise and fall, and the world change around us.” Adam had tears welling in his eyes as he contemplated spending the rest of his existence with this beautiful man. No, no longer just an existence, _a life!_

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=263a81w)

He thought back over his day. It had been an emotional roller-coaster from the time he woke. He knew he would miss his family dearly, but since he didn’t have to cut all ties with them, he felt better. And sometimes, a man had to move away from his family to start his own.

Adam wasn’t the 'family' he had imagined he would someday have, but he hadn't planned on eternity, and he didn’t want to lose this amazing man. He seemed more human tonight than ever before; thoughtful, loving and considerate. Tommy loved that side of him. Mostly, though, it was because he knew Adam saw _him_ instead of his past lover.

Tommy was no longer afraid of what the future held in store for him. He knew it would be a very long future, and he wouldn’t be alone, he would be with this sexy beast leaning over him. Tommy smiled as that thought hit him.

“What are you smiling about?” Adam asked.

“I think I’m ready,” he replied.

Adam’s eyes flew open in obvious surprise and lit up with a life of their own. He seemed to be at a loss of words for the first time Tommy could remember. It seemed to be minutes later before Adam found his voice. “Do you have things packed that you want to take with you? If you want, we can leave tonight.”

“Yeah, my bags are packed and in the closet,” he replied. He was nervous, but no longer afraid. In fact, somehow, he was now looking forward to the change. _Never growing old!_ He remembered all the pain his father went through before he passed away, and now knew that fate didn’t await him, too.

Adam’s lips crashed into his, and seemed to be pouring love into him. Tommy was breathless in no time, and groaned his frustration when Adam pulled away and stood up. “Come on, then. Let’s go!” he said as he put his hand out to help Tommy up.

Tommy was confused. “What? You aren’t going to change me now?”

“No, baby, not until I have you someplace safe. I won’t chance you hurting someone,” Adam explained.

“So, you weren’t going to change me until after we went away. Where are we going, anyway?” Tommy asked.

Adam smiled, and his eyes shone. “It’ll be someplace nicer than a cave. You’ll love it there, I’m sure!”

Tommy reached for the hand that Adam still held out for him to take. They retrieved the luggage that was waiting in the closet and Tommy stopped at the front door. He took a final look around the place he’d called home for the last couple years, and realized it was nothing more than a house. There was nothing here he couldn’t live without.

They piled into Tommy car and Adam drove them north. They talked through the night, mostly Adam answering Tommy’s questions. Adam told him what life was like when he was alive, what it was like when he was first changed and living in a cave and all the changes he’d seen through the years. Tommy was surprised to find out that Adam had once been a prince, and wasn’t sure if he believed him or not. Adam’s life seemed too amazing to be real.

There had been nothing but wilderness for miles on this overgrown dirt road. Tommy’s eyes had gotten too heavy to keep open by the time Adam pulled onto the long drive leading to a ranch, almost hidden in the mountains just over the Canadian border.

“We’re here,” Adam said.

Tommy looked around with his limited view from the car. There was just enough light from the moon to see that the place was beautiful. Evergreens stood so tall around the place that the log cabin looked like a small cottage. He stumbled out of the car and helped Adam get his luggage out of the trunk. He stayed close to Adam and was thankful the path was smooth so he didn’t fall on his face.

Once inside, Adam began lighting a fire in the fireplace. Tommy had no idea how he could see what he was doing. Once it was lit, he looked around the small cabin.

It was strange to see a building, other than a shed, with no windows. There was also no stove or electricity. “What is this place?” Tommy asked.

“This is one of my properties. I have houses all over the world since I can’t stay in one place any longer than ten years or so. I have a fund set aside to maintain all my properties.

“This place is sitting on a thousand acres of what is mostly wilderness. There are fields, mostly overgrown, that I recently had my agent fill with cattle. I thought this would be a good place to spend a few weeks,” Adam explained.

“Mostly wilderness? No people live around here?”

“No,” Adam answered, “not for almost twenty miles.”

Tommy’s nerves began to rattle again in fear of what was to come next. “This is where you’re going to change me, isn’t it?” he asked, facing the fire.

Adam walked behind him and wrapped his arms around his chest. “When you are ready. Tommy,” Adam hesitated, and then went on, “I want to be your mate and spend eternity with you. I want to see the changes the world goes through at your side. Now that I’ve found you, I can’t see continuing my existence without you. I love you.” All this, Adam spoke into his ear and finished with a kiss to the side of his head.

He listened to Adam’s words, and only one thought, one question came to his mind. “What about Thomas?”

“You made me see that you are not Thomas. I loved him, and I love you. But you are here, now, where Thomas is long gone. The two of you are so different, Tommy. I don’t know how I could have thought you were he.”

Once again, the relief he felt from Adam’s words filled him with love. It was _him_ that Adam loved, not the image of another. The fear that was gripping him earlier loosened its hold on him. He could see the two of them traveling through eternity together, and it made him smile.

His heart was filled with love for the man holding him. He leaned his head back on Adam’s chest and wrapped his arms around Adam’s. “I love you, too,” Tommy turned his head and whispered into his lover’s neck, and then continued, “I think I’m ready, now.”

The arms around him squeezed him tighter then he looked up into Adam’s face. He bent and they kissed. It was awkward, but so filled with love that Tommy felt complete. When they broke the kiss, Adam did the unexpected.

He pulled one of his arms from Tommy's grasp and bit his wrist. Tommy watched as blood pooled and began to drip before Adam put it against Tommy’s mouth. “Suck. Drink as much as you can before it heals.”

The bitter, coppery fluid that sat thick on his tongue was enough to gag him. It wasn’t just the taste and texture that got to him; it was also the thought of what it was. Tommy swallowed as quickly as he could, just wanting it out of his mouth. He sucked another mouthful and again swallowed quickly. By the next half mouthful, Adam’s arm had healed itself.

Tommy swallowed quickly, and then again. Adam turned him around in his arms and kissed him deeply, removing all traces of the metallic flavor. Once that taste was gone and replaced with the sweetness of Adam, Tommy’s thoughts continued to where the kiss was taking them, and all thoughts of being changed disappeared.

Adam backed him to the bed in the corner as he loosened the buttons at the top of the Henley Tommy wore. As commanding as Adam was, it was all he could do to just to hold onto his vampire lover. Adam pulled away just for a brief moment, then grabbed onto the hem of Tommy’s shirt and pulled it over his head.

Adam seemed entranced by the expanse of naked flesh the way he licked and nibbled his way slowly down to Tommy’s belt. In no time, Tommy was completely bare and lying in the middle of the bed while Adam backed away to pull his own clothes off.

Light from the fireplace somehow made Adam’s pale white, freckled skin even more enticing as he exposed it. Tommy was hypnotized by the sight, and wanted to touch it and taste it.

Completely naked, Adam got back in bed and again dominated. “I want you to grab the headboard and don’t let go if you want to come tonight,” Adam ordered with a sparkle in his eye.

Tommy’s cock stood at attention when he heard those words leave Adam’s lips. Between the way Adam was looking at him and the sultry tone of his voice, he was putty in Adam’s hands. He quickly reached for the headboard and held onto it like a lifeline. His eyes never left Adam’s and the fire that reflected in them so eerily. Tommy surrendered to the desire that only Adam had ever made him feel.

He could tell that Adam’s eyes were locked on his as he reached for his pants beside the bed and retrieved some lube from a pocket, tossing it next to him.

Adam then stretched out over him, covering him almost completely. Adam began kissing him again, and didn’t break the kiss until Tommy was breathless and gasping. Adam began working his way down Tommy with his hands and mouth, flicking his tongue over each of his nipples until they became hard little nubs. Tommy cried out and arched his back off the bed when Adam latched onto a nipple. He almost lost his hold on the headboard in his desire to pull Adam’s mouth even tighter to his chest before Adam’s soothing tongue made him tremble all over.

Then he trailed his tongue down the center of his stomach to dip into Tommy's navel. Tommy thrust his hips, seeking friction, only to have Adam grasp them and hold them down.

When Adam made his way toward his cock, Tommy spread his legs instinctively, blushing at the reality of his wantonness. He wanted Adam’s lips wrapped around him, but Adam seemed to have other plans. He ran his tongue over the taut skin at the base of Tommy’s cock and took one of his nuts in his mouth and sucked.

“Oh, fuck,” Tommy cursed quietly as shudders wracked his body. He squirmed under Adam’s ministrations, trying to get him to pay similar attention to his throbbing cock.

“Please...” Tommy heard himself beg. It sounded strange and foreign, as if his voice belonged to another.

Adam bent down and licked at the crack of his ass. Tommy wasn’t really sure how to feel about that, but the one thing he was sure of was he wanted more of it.

Adam teased Tommy mercilessly, never letting up and never touching Tommy’s swollen and aching cock. Adam sucked on his balls and licked over his hole, driving him crazy enough to want to scream out loud. Tommy’s fingers knotted into Adam’s hair and he pulled him tighter into his groin. A sharp nip at the crease of his thigh made Tommy gasp.

Adam looked up; eyebrow raised and eyes glistening with mischief. “What did I tell you about letting go of that head board?”

Tommy groaned and reached for the headboard, hoping Adam wouldn’t take him to task for his lapse. “Oh fuck...” Tommy called out with a tremble as Adam’s mouth finally engulfed him.

Adam seemed to enjoy keeping Tommy on the edge, holding him over it and backing off just enough that he was left breathless and panting and squirming.

 _Oh. Fuck. Me._ Tommy thought.

 _*Not yet. But soon.*_ He hadn’t heard Adam’s voice in his head since that second night, and he still found it unnerving, but that promise... It made him quiver in anticipation.

It took him by surprise when suddenly, the headboard slipped from his fingers and Adam turned him over, straddling his hips. Tommy lay on his belly, propped up on his elbows and caged between Adam’s thighs, while Adam nibbled at the back of his neck, sending bolts of heat right to his cock. Tommy shuddered at the sensation as he ground his hips into the bed, grateful for the friction this position afforded. He was so fucking close; there was no way Adam could stop him from coming, threat or no threat.

Adam found pleasure points Tommy didn’t know even existed on his back, and Tommy found himself arching into Adam’s nips and thrusting against the mattress like a wanton slut, unable to stifle his sounds of pleasure.

He was close. So fucking close...he could taste release. And just when he was about to come, Tommy found himself on his back looking up into Adam’s face.

 _Fucking vampire,_ Tommy mentally cursed in desperation.

 _*Not yet...*_ Adam sent back.

He looked at Adam; eyes hooded, mouth slightly ajar and his breathing was labored. Adam was a vision of pure lust and it pleased Tommy to know that Adam was not immune to the desire that was consuming him.

Before Tommy could process the view before him beyond the stirring in his groin, the beautiful man bent down and claimed his lips. The kiss was hard and demanding. Tommy took everything Adam had to give and then pushed for more, grinding hardness against hardness. Blunted nails dug into Adam’s back as Tommy wrapped his legs around the back of Adam’s thighs, arching into the friction with a moan.

When Adam broke their kiss, it was Tommy who chased after his lips. Tommy had come to love these kisses that felt so familiar. He knew them well and he wanted more.

Undeterred, Adam worked his way down, nipping, sucking and licking, and Tommy lost the battle to keep himself quiet yet again. The sounds that escaped his tightly clamped lips embarrassed him, even if there was no one around but Adam to hear them. Then, he was beyond caring; completely wrapped, as he was, in Adam’s web. And Adam played Tommy like a master violinist plucking at his strings; there was no way he could keep those sounds to himself.

Tommy heard a snick and felt Adam’s wet finger teasing his hole while Adam lapped at the slit of Tommy’s leaking dick. The things Adam did with that tongue, licking, flicking and lapping, had Tommy shaking even harder. Adam’s finger felt good, but his tongue was pure enticement. Tommy whimpered pitifully, begging Adam to take him completely into his mouth, he wanted to come so badly. His cock was so very hard and all Tommy could think about was thrusting into the wet of Adam’s mouth.

When Adam’s finger slid inside Tommy, it only enhanced those feelings. Tommy groaned when Adam pulled away and he opened his eyes to see Adam watching him writhe and tremble while Adam teased him from the inside. “Please… Adam… Fuck... Pleeeasee…” Tommy begged.

This time, Adam bent down over his cock and Tommy closed his eyes in anticipation. Just as Adam’s lips locked around the head of Tommy’s cock, Adam slid a second finger knuckle deep into Tommy.

“Fuck!” he moaned out long and slow, loving the feel.

Adam’s mouth on his dick countered the burn of the stretch. Then Adam hit a spot inside Tommy that was too much, way too much; and yet not enough. Tommy squeaked and dug into the blankets with his fists, his body tensed and bowed with the unexpected pleasure. He loved the way Adam made him feel alive.

Adam spent some time stretching and teasing him while Tommy moaned and trembled. Just when he figured he wasn’t going to last another minute, Adam removed his fingers. He watched as his lover poured more lube into his hand and over his cock.

Tommy licked his lips in anticipation as Adam ran his lube filled hand along his hardness, slicking himself up. Watching Adam’s glistening hand reflect the fire light as it slid over his cock, pleasing himself, made his breath hitch. Tommy wanted that, now.

“Mine!” he growled, and seemed to surprise Adam with his claim. He had his feet at Adam’s hips as Adam aligned himself and slid in. Once Adam was fully seated, Tommy wrapped his legs high around Adam’s back and held them with his hands.

Adam was in complete control again. From his position, there was little Tommy could do but take it. Thrust after thrust grazing over his prostrate while his cock rubbed against Adam’s stomach was more stimulation than Tommy could take for very long. It was too much; it wasn’t enough. Tommy was close, so close.

Adam bent down and ran his nose gently over the bite marks from the past week, and then sunk his fangs into Tommy’s tender neck and sucked hard. The sharp pain doused in even more pleasure was exactly what Tommy needed. He silently screamed out his orgasm as ribbon after ribbon of cum drenched their stomachs. Adam froze above him; buried deep inside Tommy as tremors of his own orgasm hit him. Adam was still sucking on Tommy’s neck when everything went black.

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=fleogx)

It was ecstasy that filled Adam in his post orgasmic haze, as the nectar that was his beloved’s blood filled his mouth. His lover’s heart began to speed, looking for enough blood to fill it, and seconds later, Thomas passed out. He mourned the thought that this would be the last time Tommy’s blood would taste this sweet, this perfect.

Adam wasn’t sure if he could continue this. He had never killed this way, on purpose, nor had he ever turned another. He couldn’t bear the thought of continuing his existence without this man at his side. When he heard the fluttering of his beloved’s heart, he knew it was too late to turn back.

It was difficult collecting another mouthful of the sweet nectar, and then the trembling heart stopped and silence reigned. Adam pulled himself away from the cooling body beneath him, seeing only the death of his loved one. Again.

It was all he could do to hold on to the thought that tonight, Tommy would return to him.

He rose and went outside to pump some water into a bowl so he could clean them both. It wouldn’t be long before the sun would rise, so he had to hurry.

Cleaning Tommy brought back all the memories of that time so long ago when he cleansed the body of Thomas. This time, his eyes filled with tears, he was so consumed with sadness and regret. How could he have cut this beautiful life so short? Tommy wanted to live. Adam tried to shove the feelings of self-hatred away; he tried to hold onto the fact that Tommy would awaken when the sun set.

After he was finished, Adam found some clothes in Tommy’s luggage and dressed him in some jeans and a tee. He knew that when he awoke, his beloved's throat would be burning with hunger and Adam would see to it that his thirst was quenched.

He quickly got dressed himself and crawled into the bed, wrapping himself around his lover as the sun rose and sleep descended.

* * *

  
The sun had set over an hour ago, and Tommy continued to lie still as a corpse. The only thing stopping Adam from tearing down the walls was the fact that he couldn’t smell any decomposition, and Tommy didn’t look shrunk in on himself with the loss of blood.

Adam hadn’t bothered to light the fire. His eyes could easily see in the dark. He paced the floor, never taking those eyes off the unnaturally still man lying in his bed. _Why is it taking so long for him to wake up? Did I do something wrong? Did I wait too long after sharing my blood with him? What if he hadn’t drunk enough of it? What if only the first-born have the ability to transform a human into a vampire?_ The thoughts circled around and around in Adam’s head.

Sitting back down on the bed, he dropped his head into his hands. He didn’t know what to do. He tried to remember the first time he woke as a vampire, and although it was hazy, he knew Nosferatu was awake and waiting before he opened his eyes. He also remembered feeding and then hunting before going back into the cave to sleep the day away.

 _Maybe this is normal,_ he hoped as he pulled his head out of his hands to look over toward Tommy. There was no change, no difference. He leaned over the body of his beloved and combed his fingers through his hair. “Tommy, please, come back to me. Don’t leave me, baby. I need you.”

Tommy’s eyes suddenly snapped open and locked with his. His eyes, his beautiful brown eyes that Adam loved to stare into were now tinged in red. But they were open.

“Tommy? Can you hear me? Please say something.”

The red tinted eyes never strayed from Adam's face. “You’re so beautiful,” Tommy finally said. His voice sounded hoarse, but Adam was confident it would go back to normal after he fed.

Adam was so relieved to see that he had not killed his lover. He almost cried from joy as pulled the new-born vampire into his arms. “Oh, Tommy. I love you so much!”

“You still call me Tommy…”

Adam pulled back so he could look at the beautiful man. He looked the same as he always had, other than the eyes. _Did Thomas’ memories come back with the stilling of his heart?_ “What do you want me to call you?”

“I was afraid you would forget all about the life of Tommy once my heart stopped, but you didn’t. I was afraid you would erase all the memories of Tommy so you could be with Thomas again,” the fey lad explained.

Adam held his face gently in his hands. “I love you, Tommy, just as I loved Thomas. Are you he? Do you remember being Thomas?”

“Yes, and in both of the lives that I lived, I loved you. I shall always love you, my Prince. I hope we find ourselves in each others arms throughout eternity.”

“Yes,” Adam replied and smiled lovingly. “Yes, that is my wish also. Now, we need to get you something for that dry throat.”

“Fuck, yeah!”

Adam laughed and helped his lover up out of the bed. He knew he had both of the men he loved, all wrapped up in one! “Now, before I make any assumptions, what do you want to be called?”

The gorgeous man grabbed him and gazed into his eyes before answering. “Tommy works better in this day and age.” Then Tommy kissed him. It was filled with so much longing that Adam had a hard time not taking his lover right back to bed.

“Quench your thirst first, then we’ll come back to this,” Adam promised.

With the largest smile that he had ever seen on Tommy, but reminded him so much of Thomas, his lover held his hand toward the door. “Lead the way.”

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=263a81w)

The very instant Tommy became aware, he could smell his lover's scent and felt his presence. He opened his eyes to lock on his beloved’s. Tommy could see him clearly, even though it was pitch black.

He also knew his throat was on fire. But the man he had loved, so deeply, so long, was above him, and his overwhelming thirst came in a distant second.

Tommy now had Thomas’ memories, felt the love he possessed, and was relieved to be back with his Prince. Tommy didn’t lose any of his own memories, or desires; one of those desires was also for this beautiful man. For the first time ever, Tommy felt whole.

“You’re so beautiful,” were the first words out of his mouth. In fact, Adam had never looked so gorgeous to his human eyes.

When he called him Tommy, the relief he felt knowing that Adam loved all of him was so great, he felt as if his heart would burst. He had never felt this kind of happiness in his life as Tommy, and all he wanted to do was make love to this man. His _lover_.

First, Adam wanted him to quench his thirst and led him out to a small paddock containing a few cows. Tommy instinctively knew what to do; the blood doused the fire in his throat as he sated himself on two of the large beasts. While he could easily have gone for another, he turned his attention back on Adam. “You said we would continue with something before we left the cabin?” he said with a smirk.

“That’s all you need to drink right now?” Adam asked, seemingly shocked.

Tommy didn’t understand. “You don’t want to go back to the cabin?”

Adam chuckled. “Oh, Tommy. You have no idea how badly I want to take you back to the cabin and finish what we started. I just thought you would go through a feeding frenzy with blood lust from being newly turned.”

“Is it bad that I’d rather be with you?” Tommy asked, confused and worried that he was doing something wrong.

Adam wrapped his arm around him and nuzzled his ear. “You are amazing, that’s all.” Pulling back, he added, “If you can walk away already, the next goal will be to not kill the beasts. Then once your eyes go back to normal, we will see how you do around a few people. If you can do that, you can visit your friends and family.”

Tommy didn’t expect that. He thought his only link to them would be his phone. He couldn’t believe that he could have it all, Adam and his family both. He wrapped his arms around Adam’s neck and cried in joy as Adam held him close.

Adam picked him up and carried him back to their cabin. When he crossed the threshold, Tommy just had to quip, “So, carrying me over the threshold like a bride now?”

Adam tossed him on the bed and caged him in under his arms and legs. “No. Not like a bride. Like my mate. My vampire mate to walk through eternity with, side by side with.”

Adam’s words were followed by a passionate and demanding kiss that Tommy returned with all his love. They took their time losing their clothes and even longer making love. In their intimacy, they each drank a bit of their lover’s blood, joining them in every way possible. When they finally separated and lie panting in each others arms, Tommy responded to the last words Adam had said. “Eternity won’t be long enough to be with you, my love!”

* * *

  
By the end of the week, Tommy rarely killed to feed, and within two months, they visited a small town. The burn in his throat was intense with the sweet scent of human blood, but Tommy was able to control himself by hunting in the woods nearby.

It was only days until Christmas when they decided to go back to LA for a visit. They spent those couple nights shopping and wrapping gifts for Tommy’s family, and then dropped in on them unexpectedly Christmas eve.

His mother’s house was full of family and Tommy introduced Adam to everyone. His mother’s eyes shone with happiness. He followed her into the kitchen at one point. “I’ve never seen you so happy, Tommy. Seeing you happy and having you here is the best Christmas present you could have given me.”

And Tommy _was_ happy. He was surrounded by everyone he loved. It was an unexpected present for him, also. He knew it wouldn’t always be like this, but it was for today, and that’s what counted. Eternity could wait, he still had today.

They only stayed a couple hours before the burn of his throat got to be too much for Tommy to handle. They left his mother's and went to a bad part of the city, and then split up as bait for anyone foolish enough to think they were easy pickings. It wasn’t long before the first punk tried to mug him.

Tommy was pulled into an alley where they were all alone, and he turned the tables on the thug. Tommy fed until he heard a slight change in the beating of the man’s heart, and then he glamoured the man, making him forget their meeting and compelling the ruffian to change his evil ways.

Then Tommy stepped out of the alley and continued his walk, waiting for his next victim.

Once sated, they met back at the car and went to Adam’s home in L.A. that he had so recently closed up. On the porch, Adam stopped and pulled him into his arms. “I’m so proud of you, baby. I can’t believe all the things you are able to do, so soon. Fuck, Tommy! Eternity becomes you in a way I didn’t think possible!”

Tommy could only smile. He was so happy in this new ‘life’. “Come on,” he said with a suggestive rub of his crotch against Adam’s thigh, “let’s go in.”


End file.
